


Leo and Annabeth: A Reimagined History

by schottthelion



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Perspective, Banter, Character Development, F/M, May/December Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 25,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24921880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schottthelion/pseuds/schottthelion
Summary: What if Leo had met Annabeth while he was still Bartlet's Chief of Staff and she was the Executive Director of the Women's Leadership Coalition?
Relationships: Leo McGarry/Annabeth Schott
Comments: 12
Kudos: 10





	1. First Meeting

Margaret opens the door to Leo's office. "Leo, I have Annabeth Schott with the Women's Leadership Coalition."

"Great. Send her in."

Annabeth walks into the room. Leo stands up behind his desk.

"Dr. Schott."

"Mr. McGarry."

"Please." Leo indicates the chair in front of his desk. "Thanks for coming in."

"Of course. Though I admit I was surprised to receive the invitation. Is there a reason the President's Chief of Staff suddenly takes a meeting with my organization?"

"This administration takes the Women's Leadership Coalition's agenda and goals seriously."

"It has nothing to do with the letter I wrote to the First Lady?"

"And the President takes seriously threats of bodily harm issued to him by the First Lady if we didn't address your concerns."

"So, this administration will advocate for the removal of the word 'forced' from the phrase 'forced prostitution" in the draft of the treaty before the U.N."

"We will strongly consider the suggestion that the word 'forced' be removed."

"It's not a suggestion, Mr. McGarry."

"See, that makes it sound like a threat."

"Women voters make up not just half of your constituency, they make up your entire margin of victory."

"Who else are they going to vote for?"

"Would you really like to find out?" She starts to stand up. "Will you get back to me before the end of the day and let me know where we are?"

"You'd like the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to get back to you by the end of the day?"

"Yes."

Leo smirks. "You ever think about working on the inside?"

"The inside of what?"

"Government. Working where things actually get done."

"Where they get done?"

"Yeah."

"No, I don't think about working on the inside. I like working where things get done right. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. McGarry. I'll look forward to your phone call."

She leaves the office. Leo smiles as he watches her go.

That night

Margaret buzzes Leo. "I have Annabeth Schott on the phone."

Leo picks up. "Annabeth."

"First name basis. That was fast."

"Would you prefer Dr. Schott?"

"Are you calling to tell me that the Bartlet administration will be advocating for changes to the U.N. treaty?"

"I am calling to tell you that the Undersecretary for Global Affairs and Regina Pierce are gonna sit with our legal advisor at the UN and look at some alternative language."

"Then Annabeth is fine."

"I am also calling to rescind my previous offer of employment with the United States government."

"An offer I have already summarily rejected."

"You working here would mean I couldn't ask you to dinner."

"My working there would mean I couldn't afford dinner."

"Government salaries aren't that bad. And since when does advocating for global justice pay the big bucks?"

"Since I started selling tickets to meetings where I put men with big desks in their place."

"My place is in the Watergate, and it's where I would like you to have dinner with me."

"That's the second time you've asked me to have dinner with you."

"It's a continuation of the first."

"When would you like me to have dinner with you?"

"Now."

"Now?"

"Yes. I am leaving the office and I am going home and I would like you to have dinner with me."

"It's the Watergate building. What could possibly go wrong?"

Leo looks at his watch. "I'll see you in an hour."


	2. A Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at Leo's doesn't end until breakfast.

Leo's apartment is a large open space plan, the living room running directly into the kitchen. Annabeth is sitting at the island of the kitchen while Leo makes dinner.

"I didn't expect you to make me dinner."

"I like to cook. It relaxes me."

Leo has taken off his tie, but he's still wearing his dress shirt from earlier in the day, suspenders and his suit pants.

Annabeth wanders into his living room and starts looking at the art on his walls. "I'm impressed, Leo. These are really wonderful pieces."

"Thank you." He walks into the room and points to one painting. "This was part of an exhibition that made a few people a little nervous. It featured, among other works, a man being basted in oil while reciting the preamble to the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments. But, I don't know, maybe men being basted in oil appeals to you."

"We've run focus groups. It appeals to a lot of people."

They walk back into Leo's kitchen. He hands Annabeth silverware. "Can you set the table? Better yet, set the island. We'll eat in here."

She sets their places and sits back down at the island. Leo turns, put their plates down and sits across from her.

"You've surprised me twice today, Leo."

"How's that?"

"The invitation to meet and the invitation to dinner."

"The invitation to meet wasn't really my idea."

"And the invitation to dinner?"

"We ran focus groups. It appealed to a lot of people."

"I don't generally win popularity contests."

"Now you've surprised me. How does a beautiful, smart woman not win popularity contests?"

"I think it's because men believe I want to baste them in oil."

"I would think that would add to the allure."

"Is that why we're in the kitchen?"

"A man can dream."

Annabeth laughs. "You're not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"It's just that your reputation precedes you."

"My reputation for?"

"No one suggested that you'd make me laugh."

"So why'd you say yes to dinner?"

"Your smirk."

"My smirk?"

Annabeth nods. "It's devastatingly sexy."

Leo looks at her, "really?"

"Yes."

He moves to her side of the island and sits down next to her. "Would you have said yes without the smirk?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I also like your suspenders."

"I'm feeling a little objectified."

"Yes."

Leo stands up and she turns to face him. "But you didn't answer my question. Why did you invite me to dinner?"

"I like a challenge."

"You should play chess."

"I do."

"Maybe do crosswords."

"I do those, too. I also advise the leader of the free world."

"But you needed to invite me to dinner for a challenge?"

"I don't want to find a way to get the President into my bed."

"He's a handsome man. I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"We could do this all night."

She stands up. "I'm just buying you time so you can figure out how to get me into your bed."

He leans in and kisses her. His hands move to the back of her neck, and gently pull her into him. She reaches up and tugs both his suspenders off his shoulders.

"I thought you liked my suspenders."

She takes both of the straps now at his waist and pulls him back towards her. "I do. They're very useful."


	3. Pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 36 hours in and Leo and Annabeth need to figure some things out, and also eat pancakes.

Next morning:

Annabeth comes out of Leo's bedroom. Leo is sitting in the kitchen, dressed for work.

"Good morning."

Annabeth walks over to him, putting her earrings in. "You're going into work on a Saturday?"

"Yep. What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go home, get changed…and then go to work."

"Dismantling the patriarchy doesn't just happen Monday through Friday?"

She pours herself coffee. "It does. We burn effigies on the weekends."

Leo smirks.

"Careful, Leo, you keep smirking and I might want to see you again."

"I was hoping you might. Which is why I thought we could have dinner again tonight."

Annabeth looks at him carefully. "Let me think about it?"

"Sure."

"And call you later?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not saying 'no,' Leo."

"I know."

"Okay."

Leo walks Annabeth to his door. She kisses him on the cheek. "I'll talk to you later."

Later – in the White House

C.J. walks into Leo's office "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Leo puts down what he was reading and nods to the chair in front of his desk. C.J. sits down. "We're selling Qumar tanks and guns."

"Yeah."

"Qumar. A country that routinely executes women for adultery."

"Yeah."

"That's it? That's all you've got for me?"

"What do you want me to say, C.J.?"

"I don't know. Maybe something about realpolitik. Something that is supposed to make me believe that when we abandon moral authority, we are replacing it with something really important."

"If I did that, would you be ok with this?"

"No."

"So, then…"

C.J. gets up to leave.

"Do you think it would be different if women ran the world?"

"I don't know, Leo. But I wouldn't mind finding out."

C.J. leaves his office, and Leo picks up his cell phone from his desk. He holds it in his lap for a second, stares down at it, shakes his head and puts it back on his desk.

Much later – Leo is lying on the couch in his office, reading. His cell phone rings.

"Annabeth."

"Hi, Leo."

He glances at his watch. "It's a little late for dinner."

"It's early for breakfast…how about you come to me this time?"

"Sure. When?"

"Now."

"Now?"

"Yes, I am standing in my kitchen and it turns out I have everything you need to make pancakes."

"Give me half an hour."

"I haven't told you where I live."

"It's in your file."

"My file?"

"Yes."

"What else is in my file?"

"I'm updating if after last night."

"I'll see you in half an hour."

Leo and Annabeth are sitting in Annabeth's kitchen, empty plates in front of them.

"I thought you weren't going to call."

"I thought so, too."

Leo carries their plates over to the sink, rolls up his sleeves and starts doing the dishes. "There are a lot of good reasons for you not to call me."

"There are. Which ones should have stopped me?"

"I'm devoted to my job, to the exclusion of just about everything else. I'm twenty years older than you. I haven't had a serious relationship since my marriage ended."

"I'm devoted to my job to the exclusion of just about everything else, I'm twenty years younger than you and I haven't had a serious relationship in six years. If you can get over it, I can."

"I represent an administration that sells weapons to Qumar in exchange for use of an airbase that we don't really need. It's just convenient."

"I know."

"And that's ok with you?"

"No."

"But?"

"I didn't invite you over at 10pm to have pancakes with me as a representative of the Bartlet administration. You're not the Chief of Staff of my kitchen."

Leo turns away from the sink and faces Annabeth. "I'm not sure it's like a nametag I can just take off."

"Leo…can we just…can we stop for a second?"

"Stop what?"

"The verbal duel. Don't get me wrong. I like it. It's just...I feel like we're on the verge of having a real conversation, and I'd like to do that as two people, not two highly trained combatants."

"Okay."

"I think we're asking each other, in complicated ways and with a lot of words, if I like you and if you like me?"

"Yeah."

"I like you, Leo."

"I like you, too."

Annabeth smiles. "Okay."

"I'm out of practice at this, Annabeth. This is…this is kind of hard to admit, but I haven't…been with anyone else since Jenny and I split up."

"Okay. Do you feel like we've moved too fast?"

"No. Do you?"

"No."

Leo exhales and smiles.

"I feel like we're two people, Leo, who have to exist in the world in a certain way, and that public version of ourselves is both a very real expression of who we are, but also an exaggeration."

"Yes."

"I also feel like we are two people who haven't slept much in the last 36 hours."

She stands up and walks over to Leo, still leaning his back against her sink. "I very much enjoyed not getting much sleep last night, to be clear." She puts her arms around him. "But, I'm wondering if you would like to actually sleep with me tonight. And maybe figure everything else out tomorrow."


	4. It's In Your File

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Annabeth figure out what they know and don't know so far.

The next morning

Leo wakes up to the sound of the shower running. He reaches for his watch on Annabeth's bedside table and then collapses his head back on the pillow. A few minutes later, Annabeth comes out of the bathroom. Her hair is wet and she's wearing shorts and a Univ. of Maryland t-shirt.

Leo starts to get out of bed, reaching for his pants and shirt. "You don't go to work on Sundays?"

"No."

"What do you do on Sundays?"

She laughs. "I go to work. I was just trying to sound like I had more going on in my life. What do you do on Sundays?"

"I go to work."

"No hobbies? Extracurricular activities?"

"I make lists of enemies."

"So you're a writer."

Leo's phone rings. He grabs it off the bedside table and puts it back down.

"You need to take that?"

"No. It's my daughter. I'll call her back."

"Mallory?"

"Yeah. How did you know her name?"

"It's in your file."

"I have a file?"

"No, Leo. But you've kind of been profiled a few times in major media outlets over your thirty plus year career in positions of some influence and power."

"Right. I also don't actually have a file about you."

"You don't?"

"I know some things, but…"

"What do you know?"

"I know you are 38 years old, that you were born and raised in Savannah Georgia, and that you have a half sister named Julia. I know that you completed your B.A. at the University of Georgia, double majoring in Women's Studies and Political Science, went on to get your master's at George Washington and your PhD at the University of Maryland. I know that your doctoral thesis addressed systemic violence against women in the United States and the rise of the online incel movement. I know you left a teaching position at American University to take your current position directing the Women's Leadership Coalition. I also know that you've never been married and that you do not have children."

"Okay. That's actually a lot of things. Tells you very little about me, but it's a lot of things."

"What did major media outlets tell you about me?"

"I know you are 58 years old, that you were born and raised in Chicago and that you have an ex-wife named Jenny and a daughter named Mallory. I know your educational and work history. I'll admit to being impressed by both. I also know you like pancakes."

"And you think that my public persona is both a very real expression of who I am, but also a potentially exhausting performance."

"I think it might be, yes."

"Why do you think that?"

"I'd say that I feel it more than I think it."

"Okay."

Annabeth sits down on the bed and pats the space next to her for Leo to sit down. He does.

"I just sensed that inviting me to dinner wasn't something you gave a lot of thought to. It feels like sleeping with me was even more of a surprise to you. And I think there are very few things you don't plan. I feel that you're not sure why you did any of those things and that you aren't entirely sure why you are still here, sitting on my bed on a Sunday morning and not in your office."

"Do you know why I am?"

"I know that I didn't immediately agree to have dinner with you last night, and then took the better part of a day to call you because I was trying to decide if you were someone I would have to perform for."

"Perform for?"

"Yes. Would I have to be Annabeth Schott, the youngest ever recipient of a named chair at American University, the public face of the most powerful women's lobbying group in the United States, and an internationally recognized authority on online hate groups?"

"But you are all those things."

"Yeah. And you're Leo McGarry. Do you ever wish you could you could just be a guy eating pancakes?"

"You think I'm here because I want to just be a guy eating pancakes and I'm somehow unconsciously drawn to you because you get that impulse and, in fact, just want to be a woman eating pancakes at 10pm on a Saturday night?"

"Yes."

"What if I just like smart, sexy, accomplished women?"

"How many smart, sexy, accomplished women do you know, Leo?"

"A few."

"You know a lot. D.C. is full of of smart, sexy, accomplished women who would be more than happy to have dinner with you."

"Okay."

"And how many of them have you had dinner with?"

"Not a lot."

"And how many of them have you invited to dinner, slept with, had breakfast with, woken up with again and ditched the office for within 48 hours of meeting them?"

"One."

"So, you tell me. Are you here because you like smart, sexy, accomplished women?"


	5. Inside Jokes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mallory and the White House team find out that Leo's tie is a mess for a reason.

Later that day – Leo's in a car heading home. His phone rings.

"Hey Mal."

"Hey Dad. I have the book to return to you and I'm on my way over to yours. Are you home?"

"Yeah. Headed there."

"Great. I'll just swing by."

"Yeah. Okay."

Leo gets home and rushes into the house trying to get changed before Mallory arrives, but she's there before he can get very far.

She walks in and kisses him on the cheek, "Hi"

"Hey."

She looks at him. "Were you in the office? You look kind of…wrinkled."

"Yeah, I was and then…anyway, how'd you like the book?"

"It was great. I mean, the history of organized labor in the United States isn't exactly my thing, but it was really well done."

"Yeah."

She looks at him again. "Dad, is your tie in your pocket?"

Leo looks down. "Oh, yeah, I was just, you know, in the car and I took it off, so."

"You took your ludicrously expensive tie off in the car and shoved it in your pocket"

"Yeah."

Mallory grins. "Dad, were you…were you at someone else's house? Like a woman's house? Because you're being kind of weird and it seems like you might have been somewhere you don't want to talk about."

"No. I was just…" Leo sighs. "Yes. I was at someone else's house."

"Dad! This is fantastic. I mean, I want absolutely no details because that would be horrifying, but this is…do I know her?"

"No."

"Will I know her? Like, is this a serious thing where you introduce the stepkid?"

"Mallory."

She laughs. "I'm kidding, Dad. But, you know, Mom goes out and I think that's great and now…"

"Your mother goes out?"

"Yeah, she's been seeing Peter Robey – remember, my friend Alison's dad? - for, I dunno, months now." Mallory looks at her Dad's face. "Oh, Dad, I'm sorry. I assumed you knew that. I didn't mean to…"

"No, Mal, it's fine. You know I want your mom to be happy."

"I want both of you to be happy."

"Yeah."

"Okay. I'm going to spare you further questions about your personal life."

"Thanks."

"Lunch this week? I can come by the office."

"Sounds good."

"Okay. See you later."

Following week: C.J., Josh, Toby and Sam are in Leo's office.

Sam points at C.J. "I'm just saying that C.J.'s going to need a reason why we're not immediately appointing a new fed chairman."

"How about the former one died literally twenty minutes ago?"

Sam looks at Toby. "That's actually not a bad point. So, out of respect for…"

Toby puts down his newspaper. "Yeah, out of respect for Chairman Dahl and his legacy…"

C.J. stands up. "Guys, he was 138 years old. You think people are going to believe we didn't have a plan in case he died?"

Leo laughs. Everyone looks at him. He's looking down at his phone. He looks up. "Sorry. Sorry."

Josh looks at C.J. "The 138 years old thing was kind of funny, but…"

Leo looks around the room. "No, sorry. I wasn't…C.J., you okay with this?"

Josh keeps his eyes on Leo. "So, what was funny?"

"Nothing. It was just this thing, on my phone."

"Like a thing we would think was funny? 'Cause I could use a good joke right now, what with the fed chairman dropping dead and the President refusing to immediately nominate Ehrlich."

"No. It's not a…it's just a text. An inside joke. It doesn't…let's move on. C.J., just…"

Sam joins in with Josh. "Wait, what inside? We're the inside. Who else do you know that you have inside jokes with?"

Leo stands up. "Okay. Could we please return to the business of running the country?"

Josh refuses to let it go. "I agree with Sam. I think if there are outsiders now on the inside, with the jokes, then we need…"

Mallory walks in. "It was probably the woman whose house he was at who doesn't have a tie rack."

Everyone turns to Mallory.

Leo sits back down. "Chairman Dahl's not gonna be the last death today."

Josh looks at Mallory. "The woman…"

C.J. chimes in. "Whose house…"

Mallory leans against the door frame. "Yeah."

Everyone turns to Leo.

"Out! Everyone out of my office! C.J., you tell the Press that out of respect for Chairman Dahl, his family, and his years of service to this country, the President will not be announcing a successor until tomorrow. And, I swear to God, if any of you come back into my office today to discuss anything other than the business of this nation, I will have you running PTA campaigns in Topeka."

Everyone shuffles out. Mallory sits down in front of Leo's desk. "You are being spared only because I have no other children."


	6. Security

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo meets Annabeth's security detail, and they both agree not to go into the office on a Saturday.

Friday night.

Leo gets out of his car and walks up the stairs to Annabeth's brownstone. Before he gets to the door, a man grabs him, pulls both of Leo's arms behind his back, and pins him against the door.

Annabeth comes rushing out of the door. "He's with me! I'm expecting him!"

The man lets go of Leo, and Annabeth steps out onto the front steps. "Leo, I am so sorry! Just…come in." They walk into Annabeth's front hall.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't tell them that you were coming. I'm only just getting used to having them back."

"Tell who? What the hell was that?"

"That was my security detail."

"You have a security detail?"

"Yes, you don't?"

"I refused Secret Service protection. It's not mandatory for the Chief of Staff, and I didn't want it."

"Okay."

"Why do you have guards at your door?"

"I get death threats. Well, they're rape threats followed by death threats, mostly."

She and Leo walk into her living room and sit down.

"Has anyone ever…I mean, have the threats ever been acted on?"

"About a year ago a man tried to break into my hotel room in Las Vegas where I was speaking at a conference on the intersection of misogyny and white supremacy. I was able to call hotel security before he got in. Otherwise, they are just threats. I get them every day. I write and speak very publicly about the involuntary celibate movement. I advocate for the incel movement to be categorized as a hate group, like the KKK. I am the embodiment of everything these men hate and they like to remind me of that. When I get threats that seem more actionable, I end up with bodyguards."

"How often does that happen?"

"Over the last three years, I have had personal security for a total of nine months."

"Nine months over the last 36, there has been reason to believe that someone had the intent and means to kill you."

"Yes."

"And in the remaining 27 months, you have had people merely expressing a less well thought out desire to kill you."

"Yes. Actually, people have been expressing a desire to kill me for the last six years, since my book was published."

"You ever thought about a new line of work?"

"How many people threaten the President, his family, his staff? You had an assassination attempt by white supremacists. You ever thought about a new line of work?

"No."

"Neither have I."

"Okay. You'll tell them I'm coming next time?"

Annabeth smiles. "Yes."

"Are you smiling? Did some dark, dark part of you enjoy watching me get jumped by your goons?"

"No, of course not. I took no pleasure in that."

"Then why are you still smiling?"

"No, it's just…you gotta admit it's a little funny. I mean, you're warily exploring the whole dating thing and on like our third date, you are pinned against my door by armed guards."

"That's not funny."

Annabeth starts to laugh. "On our next date, I could pull up in a van, throw you inside. Maybe wear a mask.

"You're disturbed."

"You ever visited a Turkish prison, Leo?"

"I could rethink the whole Secret Service thing. I bet they'd love this conversation."

"Okay. Okay. I was just starting dinner." She stands up and walks towards the kitchen. "You hungry?"

"Starving."

"Great. You like scrambled eggs?"

"Yeah."

"Then you're going to love dinner."

"Do you eat foods that aren't for breakfast?"

"Yes, but generally someone else makes them."

Saturday morning -

Leo wakes up to find Annabeth getting dressed to go for a run.

"Hey"

"Hey you" She walks over to the bed, leans over and kisses him. He grabs her hand. "You could get exercise staying here."

"Last night wasn't enough for you?"

Leo falls back into the bed. "Sunshine, a thousand nights like last night wouldn't be enough for me."

Annabeth laughs. "It's tempting, but I'm going to go for a run before I head into work."

"Yeah, I was thinking… I might not go into the office today."

Annabeth looks up from tying her shoes. Leo sits up. "You like football?"

"Leo, I grew up in Georgia. Of course I like football."

"Well, I sometimes get together with a few buddies and their wives to watch college football. And I haven't gone as much as I used to, but if you wanted to go, I could let them know I'm coming this time and we could go together."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I mean if you don't mind skipping the office."

Annabeth grins. "No, I don't mind."


	7. Like Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good days don't always last

I always know where everyone is in a room. I make sure nothing surprises me, lands heavy right behind me and makes me jump. I believe the only good surprises are the ones I pretend to be surprised by, like a kid surveying the presents under the tree, secure in the knowledge that what he wants is there because he staked out his parents' closet weeks ago.

I'm watching Annabeth walk around Ken's house, watching her watch football and talk to my friends and it occurs to me that I already know the way she runs her left hand through her hair and looks down when she is trying to remember something, and I like that I know that. I put it under the tree.

By the time everyone else has left, and it's just me, Annabeth, Ken and Katharine sitting in their den, I'm watching her just for the sheer pleasure of it. She's wearing these silver bangle bracelets on both arms, and when she talks, flashes of light ricochet off the bracelets and burst like tiny fireworks all around her. And Jesus, when she laughs. Some people laugh like they don't want to let the rest of their body in on the joke, but Annabeth just loses it, grabbing for anything, desperately wiping the tears away. It doesn't even matter if you thought whatever it is that got her started is funny, you look at her and that's it. You're gone.

I can't remember what the hell we talked about. The conversation just rushed around and over me, like waves. Annabeth was holding my hand, and I watched her smile at Ken, and him smile back just a second too long, like he didn't want her to stop.

And the next thing I know, we're walking out of Ken and Katharine's house and she's still holding my hand. We're in the car, and her mouth tastes like the night sky. She laughs, saying the cold leather of her car seats feels like being punched, but her mouth stays on mine and her hands are warm as they snake under my jacket.

I'm saying that it was a good day.

Monday morning. Leo is waiting for the President & his motorcade outside the West Wing.

President Bartlet gets out and walks to Leo.

"Sir, this morning a man named Elliott Rodger murdered six people and injured fourteen more in a rampage near the University of California, Santa Barbara."

"Is he in custody?"

"No, sir, he killed himself."

"Okay."

"Before he killed these people and before he killed himself, he posted a manifesto on the internet. He outlined his attack and explained his motives. He also suggested that this would be the first in a series of killings."

"But, he's dead."

"Yeah, but the people who listen to him aren't."

"Who listens to him?"

"A group of men called involuntary celibates or incels."

"This is a thing?"

"Yes."

"Okay. What do I need to know?"

"I'd like you to meet with someone who can tell us."


	8. What Time Is It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> President Bartlet spots what's going on between Leo and Annabeth.

Pres. Bartlet and Leo walk into the Oval Office where C.J. and Annabeth are waiting.

"Mr. President, this is Dr. Annabeth Schott, Executive Director of the Women's Leadership Coalition and an expert on the incel movement."

"We've met before, Annabeth?"

"Yes sir. Dr. Bartlet and I worked together on an international campaign against genital mutilation a few years ago."

"Right. Of course. Well, Annabeth, what do I need to know here?"

"Sir, Elliott Rodger was a self-described incel or involuntary celibate. These are straight men who have constructed a violent political ideology around the injustice of young, beautiful women refusing to have sex with them. These men often also subscribe to white supremacist beliefs. Incels aren't really looking for sex; they're looking for absolute male supremacy. Sex, defined to them as dominion over female bodies, is just their preferred sort of proof."

"And Rodger, the man who murdered these people, he's encouraging other incels to follow his lead?"

"Yes, sir. The incel community is just one of the misogynistic groups that exist within the so-called "manosphere" - a web of online blogs and forums which reject mainstream conceptions of gender inequality. Rodger posted his manifesto to YouTube, and the manosphere is flooding its sites with it. One of those sites, called the "Red Pill" has more than 200,000 members alone."

"That's a lot of angry men, Dr. Schott."

"Yes, sir."

"Okay. I appreciate your time. Leo, C.J., stick around."

Leo gets up and walks Annabeth back towards his office. Jed watches them through the door, waiting for Leo to walk back in. He sees Annabeth slip Leo his watch.

That night – Leo and Jed are in the Oval Office

"What time is it, Leo?"

Leo looks at his watch, "8:30, sir."

"That's a nice watch."

Leo looks quizzically at the President, "yeah."

"That's the kind of watch, where, if you were going to forget it someplace, it would be best to do so in a place or with a person who would be likely to return it to you."

"I suppose so, sir."

"You gonna make me keep going, Leo, or are you going to tell me why Annabeth Schott palmed you your watch earlier today?"

"I'm going to say goodnight and go back to my office, sir."

"That's a good idea, Leo. I'll just head up to the residence, then. To my wife, Abbey. I think you've met her. A deeply inquisitive woman, don't you think? And I'll just talk to her about this watch business."

"Alright. Alright. I give."

"Good. Now, how did Annabeth end up in possession of your watch?"

"Because I left it at her house."

"Now we're getting somewhere. And what, pray tell, were you and your watch doing at Dr. Schott's house?"

"Having dinner."

"And you removed your watch because you didn't want to get bearnaise sauce on it?"

"Something like that, sir."

"Uh-huh. What happened to Jordon?"

"Nothing happened to Jordon. She is alive and well and practicing law right here in the District of Columbia."

"Abbey is right upstairs, Leo. One phone call and she's in this office faster than you can say 'Rolex.'"

"Jordon was and is a lovely woman. We just didn't…she didn't like my being out of reach so often."

"And Dr. Schott has no problem with that?"

"I don't know yet."

"I liked Jordon."

"So did I."

"Okay. You like this new one?"

"I don't like calling her 'the new one,' but yeah, I do."

"Okay. Goodnight, Leo."

"Goodnight, sir."


	9. Maybe So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo storms out of Annabeth's house.

Leo walks into Annabeth's house.

"Hey! It's me." He walks into her living room. "Annabeth?" Music is coming from the kitchen. He walks in to find Annabeth dancing to Van Morrison's "Ain't Nothin' You Can Do."

"Leo, Van and I are kind of having a moment here."

"Okay."

She grabs his hands and starts dancing. Leo just stands there. "Don't let me interrupt you."

She dances away from him."Is there anything better in the world than the musical stylings of Mr. Van Morrison?"

"Is this a trick question?"

"It is not, Leo, because the answer is an unequivocal 'No'. There is nothing better than Van The Man Morrison."

"Okay."

"My whole life, Leo, I wanted to see Van Morrison live. And the thing about Van Morrison is that while he is a musical genius, he also has a bit of a reputation for being a right prick. And so he doesn't perform everywhere, all the time. In fact, he performs rarely and in very few places. But last year, he agreed to anchor the EastSide Arts Festival in Belfast."

"Sure."

"The EastSide Arts Festival was this like neighborhood fair - not a major event. But, Van Morrison agreed to perform. On his 70th birthday. And do you want to know where, specifically, this performance was to take place?"

"I'm thinking you are going to tell me whether I am interested or not."

"I am. Because, Leo, he performed on Cyprus Avenue! Judging from your expression, this means nothing to you. But, I can assure you this was a big deal. And I, Leo, I was caught one more time on Cyprus Avenue."

"Sorry?"

"I was there! I celebrated Van's 70th birthday with Van on Cyprus Avenue! I mean, yeah, I was joined by a few hundred other people, but, I like to think he had eyes only for me."

"70th birthday, he might not have been able to see any of you particularly well."

Annabeth turns off the music.

"Your dismissive cynicism is noted, but will not in any way alter my recollection of events. Van and I had a moment, Leo."

"Uh-huh."

"Okay. I'm sensing that you don't want to talk about Van Morrison."

"I like watching you dance."

"Do you?" She grabs his tie and pulls him into her.

"Yeah."

Annabeth lets go. "Yet I'm getting the sense that dancing isn't really on the agenda tonight either."

Leo sits down. "Today was not great."

"Okay."

"I mean you were great. The President really appreciated your expertise."

"But?"

"But, this guy and what he did. I mean, a lot of people died today. And this is the kind of guy that wants to come after you."

"Yes."

"But you're dancing. In your kitchen."

"Would you prefer that I put on sackcloth and rend my garments?"

"I'd prefer that you appear affected by it."

Annabeth sits down. "You want to tell me what you really want to talk about, Leo, because you know very well that stopping what this guy did today and what other guys like him want to do is my life's work. And you are also well aware, because you know me, that the addition of yet more female bodies to the miserable, endless body count that is the result of toxic patriarchal bullshit is not something I am even remotely okay with."

"I am just saying that I am having a hard time listening to you talk about Van Morrison and dance around your kitchen on the same day that a lunatic murders six people."

"I dance and I talk about Van Morrison because the alternative is that I blow my brains out. Do you know what it is like to spend your days trolling the depths of misogyny, searching out uglier and uglier descriptions of horrific violence? Do you know that they are already calling him Saint Elliott? Want to know what they call me? It's The Cum-Dumpster. Sometimes they add whore on. Then it's The Cum-Dumpster Whore, and they use it so often they have to shorten it to CDW because, you know, their hands get tired from typing out all the ways they'd like to see me die. And I'm one of the lucky ones, Leo, because they haven't actually hurt me, whereas hundreds of thousands of women, including eight more today, are dead because men wanted them to die. So, I'm going to ask you again, Leo, why are you picking a fight with me right now?"

"I'm thinking coming over here tonight wasn't such a great idea."

"Maybe so."

Leo grabs his jacket off the back of the chair and walks out of the house. He walks down Annabeth's stairs and starts down the block. He takes his cell phone out of his jacket pocket.

"John. It's me. I feel like I want a drink."


	10. Slow it All Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo's AA sponsor helps him think through everything that is going on.

Same Night - Leo's House

Leo's doorbell rings and he answers it.

"John."

"Hey, Leo."

"I appreciate this, John."

"It's what sponsors are for. I'm glad you called."

"Yeah."

"You wanna sit down?"

John and Leo sit down in Leo's study.

"It's late. I'm sorry about dragging you out like this."

"Leo, it's fine. You call. I show up. That's how it works."

"Yeah."

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

"I'm not really sure where to start. There's work stuff and personal stuff, and then the two things overlap and I'm struggling to keep things where they belong."

"Okay. Well, if it all overlaps, why not just pick one and we'll figure it out as we go."

"Yeah. Okay. Well, a week ago or so. Jesus. It's really only been a week…"

"A week or so ago what?"

"I asked this woman to dinner. She came for a meeting with me. At work. And there was just something about her and the next thing I know, I'm asking her to have dinner with me that same night. And she said yes and one thing led to another and she spent the night."

"She drinks?"

"No. I mean yes, she probably does, but no, she's not like us."

"Okay."

"Anyway, that happens and it's a surprise to me. The whole thing. She's a lot younger than me, and it's not my usual thing, you know, to just – for things to move so fast."

"Yeah."

"And then Mallory shows up and tells me that Jenny's been seeing this guy we both used to know, a friend of the family. She thought I knew, that's why she told me, but I didn't know. So, that's a surprise. And meanwhile, things with Annabeth - her name is Annabeth - things with Annabeth just keep moving. I'm at her place and she's here and being around her makes me want to be around her more. Which, again, surprising. But then, there's the shooting – this guy out in California?"

John nods.

"And Annabeth – this is the work she does. She's an expert in guys like the shooter. So, she comes to the White House and briefs the President. And after she briefs him, she's walking out through my office, and the President sees her hand me my watch. I'd left it at her house. So Jed wants to talk about that and in the course of that conversation he brings up Jordon. So now I'm thinking about that."

"About what?"

"About Jordon. And then back to Mallory telling me about Jenny. I screwed up both of those, John. And then tonight, I go over to Annabeth's and she's dancing. In her kitchen. And I just…I'm angry. I'm angry that she's dancing and talking to me about nothing when this guy, this guy killed these people and he'd really like to kill Annabeth, and she knows that. She has to have guards because of guys like that. So I get angry and I leave."

"You came home?"

"Yeah."

"And called me?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Did you have a drink before or after you called me?"

"No."

"Okay."

"I'd really like to, though. I would really like to slow everything down right now."

"Yeah. I know. Let's see if we can slow things down without it, though, huh? Let's just slow it all down."


	11. You Are Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Leo continue their conversation.

John walks back into Leo's study with two glasses of water. "Sounds like there's a lot going on. Which isn't that unusual for you, Leo."

"No. Not at work it's not."

"Okay. So it's how much you've got going on outside of work?"

"Yeah."

"When you were married, the outside of work stuff pretty much took care of itself."

"Jenny took care of it. She handled all of it – she parented and managed everything that didn't take place in my office - by herself."

"Yeah. And then when you and Jenny split up there wasn't much to manage."

"Well, yeah. I mean Mallory's an adult and I gave Jenny the house. And my social life wasn't exactly demanding."

"Right. And then when you and Jordon got together?"

"Again. Not much to manage. I liked Jordon a lot. She's whip smart, funny, attractive. What's not to like?"

"I don't know."

"Nothing. There's nothing not to like. And there was nothing not to like about Jenny."

"I guess you might not like the part about their both being so evidently the right choice. I mean, as you say, nobody is surprised that you'd be with Jenny or Jordon."

"I don't like surprises."

"Yeah, you keep saying that."

"I don't."

"Leo, you went from getting shot at in Vietnam to a life of high stakes business decisions and now you run the White House. You've been on an adrenaline high for what? 35 years? Stop with the you don't like surprises thing. Crisis management is all you know how to do. No crisis - that's when things get hard for you."

"You think I want a drink because things are too slow? I want a drink to slow things down!"

"You want a drink because you're an alcoholic. You don't need any other reason."

"I keep screwing up, John. I lost my marriage, I couldn't make things work with Jordon and now…"

"Has it ever occurred to you, Leo, that maybe you didn't screw it all up? Maybe your marriage or your relationship with Jordon just wasn't right? That doesn't mean you didn't make mistakes."

"I was a bad husband, John, and I'm not doing much better now."

"You are human, Leo. Your guilt is all ego. Yes, you made mistakes. Yes, like the rest of the planet, you continue to make mistakes. But the other people in your life are not bit players in the Leo Show. The world does not mete out its gift and punishments because of Leo McGarry."

"I ran out on Annabeth. Just took off."

"Yeah. And why'd you do that?"

"I was angry."

"Okay. And why were you angry?"

"Because she seemed not to see the danger."

"You said this is her work, right? Dealing with guys like the shooter?"

"Yeah."

"So, does she really not see it?"

Leo is silent.

"Do you think you were angry for some other reason?"

Leo stands up and walks around his chair. He grabs hold of the back of the chair and squeezes his hands around the edges.

"Leo? Do you think you're angry at her for making you care about her? Care enough about her that this guy today rattled you bad? It's easier, Leo, to be with people we can be absent from. Harder for them, but easier for us."


	12. Try Anyway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Leo decide to give a relationship a shot. And then things get dirty.

Tuesday night: Leo is in his office. It's late. He closes his door and picks up the phone.

"It's late, Leo."

"Yeah. I know."

"But you're calling me anyway."

"Are you still in your office?"

"Yes."

"So, not like I'm keeping you up."

"You don't get to storm out of my house and then call and do this."

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I really am. I'd like to see you."

"I'm leaving in the morning for New York."

"What's in New York?"

"I'm speaking to the FBI."

"Don't they have a pretty big office right here?"

"Again, not really in the mood for the banter."

"Yeah."

"I'll be back in town on Friday morning."

"I could come over that night?"

Annabeth sighs "yeah, but it's 50/50 whether I tell security you're coming."

Leo smiles. "You're worth the risk."

"I'll see you Friday."

Friday night – Leo is trying to leave the West Wing

Sam is walking into his office as Leo is walking out. He walks right past Sam. "No."

"Leo!" Sam catches up with him.

"No." Leo keeps walking.

"Leo. They denied the appeal."

"Simon Cruz?"

"Yeah."

"They were sending it back to the sixth circuit."

"Well, they didn't."

"I'm leaving, Sam. The President lands at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning and I will let him sleep a little bit and then I will be back here, but right now, I am leaving."

"The execution is scheduled for 12:01 Monday morning, so the ball is in our court."

"I don't want it in our court. I want the ball to be removed from any court the President might possibly go near."

"Yeah. But, it's in our court."

"Alright. I'll talk to him in the morning."

"Sure."

"Sam, I am leaving. I am exiting the building." They both look towards the door.

"Sure."

"Dammit, Sam, what do you want from me?"

"Mendoza. We need Mendoza on the court."

Leo looks at his watch. "Sam, it is 8pm on Friday night. The only person reachable right now is the switchboard operator. I will talk to him in the morning. But not about Mendoza. That's a whole other thing." Leo opens the door.

"Leo?"

Leo turns and looks at Sam angrily.

"Are you going somewhere that doesn't have a tie rack?"

"I am going to resign, be appointed to a diplomatic post, and then murder you and claim immunity."

"Good night, Leo."

Leo arrives at Annabeth's house

"Hey. Sorry. I got here as soon as I could."

"You're fine. I was just listening to Van Morrison and enjoying myself, so you've walked in at the perfect time to bring an end to that kind of licentious nonsense."

She walks into the living room and sits down. Leo sits down across from her. "Yeah. I'm sorry, again, about that. I spent last night talking to a guy, a friend of mine, and it helped me get a lot of things straight in my own head. I took some stuff out on you, Annabeth, and you didn't deserve that."

"No."

"The upshot of it is that I would really like the chance to continue to be with you and I wish I had been able to tell you the other night that I was scared."

"You were scared?"

"Yes. I was and am scared that someone will hurt you."

"Me too."

"And I was and am scared that my feeling the way I do about you so quickly will mean that I will only continue to feel more and more."

"Me too."

"Do you think it's easier to be with people you can be absent from?"

"I think it's easier not to be in a relationship at all."

Leo smiles. "I threatened to execute Sam Seaborn tonight in order to get here."

"This is what I'm saying. Sam's a good guy, and to think that the cost of maintaining a relationship is his life?"

"It's unconscionable."

"New York FBI told me carjacking's up."

"And you think it's…"

"I think it's obvious that it's people in relationships, realizing they forgot their anniversary, desperate to get to the florist."

Leo nods. "Yeah. It's definitely easier not to be in one."

"You want to try anyway?"

"Sam's replaceable."

"People can get new cars."

Annabeth stands up. "I made oatmeal."

"For dinner?"

"Yes."

"You really embrace the whole breakfast is the most important meal of the day thing."

Saturday morning

Leo and Annabeth are getting dressed.

Annabeth puts Leo's tie around his neck. "I like it better when we're going the other direction with this."

He kisses her lightly. "Don't start. I gotta go home and change before going into work."

"You sure?" She starts to unbutton his shirt from the bottom as he finishes buttoning the top.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Really?" She loosens his belt.

"Annabeth. Don't."

She undoes the button of his pants and runs her hand over him. He groans. "I have to…"

Annabeth kneels and looks back up at Leo as she takes him into her mouth. "Jesus." His knees buckle slightly. "Annabeth. You gotta…"

She stops and looks up at him. "I gotta what?" She runs her tongue around his head, while tracing a line down his shaft with her fingernail. "Oh, Christ," he lays his hands on her head as she takes him fully back into her mouth and runs her fingers down the inside of his thighs.

About to explode, Leo grabs Annabeth's arms and pulls her up. His voice is rough with need, "take those off." He tugs at her jeans and then sits on the edge of the bed, watching her. She straddles him, his face buried between her breasts. Her fingers dig into Leo's shoulders as she slides up and down in short, desperate bursts. His hands splay across her back and ass, pulling her in and pushing her down onto him. "Don't stop. Annabeth. Holy God. I can't hold on…" His voice disappears into a guttural shout as Annabeth tightens around him.


	13. It's Gonna Be A Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo's in a very good mood, and has a date for the upcoming State Dinner.

Leo's Office - later Saturday

Margaret comes to the door. "Are you…whistling?"

Leo swoops towards her and puts his arm around her waist, dancing her around his office. "State dinner this week. I'm just getting warmed up."

"Leo. Should I call somebody?"

He lets go of her and grins. "Get lawyers, guns and money, Margaret. It's gonna be a party."

"The President is coming down from the residence."

"Okey doke"

Looking concerned, Margaret leaves Leo's office. He calls after her. "Margaret! I almost forgot. I need another place at my table at the dinner."

Margaret walks back in. "You need another place at your table. At the state dinner. The one that is in three days?"

"Correct."

"Right. That's just a few phone calls to angry people. And who is the extra place for?"

"Her name is Annabeth Schott. All of her information is in your files."

Margaret just stands there. Leo looks up from his desk. "Did you want to dance some more?" Margaret hurries out of the office.

Leo is laughing as he walks into the Oval Office. Jed is standing next to his desk reading something.

"Leo, did you know that there are protesters outside the building?"

"There are always protesters outside the building."

"Yeah. Do you know what would happen if our guest of honor at the upcoming state dinner were in charge of things?"

"To the protesters?"

"Yeah."

"I don't think those are the kinds of questions we want to throw his way at the state dinner."

"Imprisonment."

"Okay."

"Indonesian prisons aren't nice prisons, Leo. I've never spent time in one, and I hope to avoid it in the future, but I've read things and they aren't nice."

"Yes, sir. Listen, Sam brought me this thing on Friday and I don't want it, but we've gotta deal with it. It's the Cruz thing."

"The sixth circuit?"

"Didn't happen."

Josh, C.J. and Toby walk in.

"Hey guys. Take a seat."

Everyone sits.

Jed gestures out the window. "You guys see the protesters?"

"The protesters that are always here?"

"The protesters that are always here, Josh, because ours is a thriving democracy. A place where any citizen can make his or her displeasure with government known by protesting at the very seat of power."

Leo stares at the floor.

"Do you know where such a thing would not occur?"

"Indonesia."

"Correct, Toby! You get a gold star."

"Are we meeting about the state dinner 'cause I thought it was the Cruz thing."

"We are not meeting about the state dinner, Josh, but it is never the wrong time to remind ourselves that we are the people's servants and as such…"

Leo clears his throat.

"And as such, we are duty bound to listen to them even when they disagree with us."

Josh looks up from his notebook. "Maybe we could invite them to the dinner? I heard Leo has an extra place at his table."

Everyone looks at Leo, who shouts towards his office. "Record time, Margaret!"

"Leo, is there something you'd like to share with the group?" Jed nods towards C.J., Josh and Toby.

"Yes, I would like to share that Simon Cruz's appeal was denied and now this is a thing we have to deal with. After we're done with that, I would like to share my plan to fire Josh."

The meeting has ended and everyone is heading out of the Oval Office.

"Leo, stick around."

"Yes, sir."

"You are aware that your table at the dinner is my table at the dinner."

"I am aware."

"And you just went ahead and added another place setting?"

"With due respect, sir, we both know that sitting with Siguto is murder. He barely acknowledges people when they speak."

"And you'd like to make ours the fun table?"

Leo grins. "There's a first time for everything, Mr. President."

Jed looks down at his desk, trying not to smile. "Abbey was dreading this dinner. She's not going to be any more."


	14. A Room for Situations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Annabeth attend the State Dinner.

State Dinner:

Leo and Annabeth are walking to the President's table.

Annabeth turns to Leo when she sees where they are headed. "You didn't tell me you who else would be at our table."

"I haven't told you a lot of things, Dr. Schott."

"Does that line work on a lot of women?"

"Not in the Situation Room."

"You do a lot of flirting in there?"

"It was built during the Kennedy administration."

"You're suggesting that John F. Kennedy established the situation room as a swingin' bachelor pad?"

"I'm saying Marilyn Monroe's rendition of 'Happy Birthday' was a situation."

"So, the assembled guests at his party said "Mr. President, get a room," as they leered suggestively at Marilyn Monroe, and a lightbulb went off for John."

"And now we have a situation room."

"This is good information. I'll be sure to share this with the President of Indonesia."

They sit down. After several minutes, Abbey turns to Annabeth.

"I insisted I be seated next to you."

"It's wonderful to see you again, Dr. Bartlet."

"Please, call me Abbey. And it's a pleasure to see you. I was dreading this dinner until Jed told me Leo was bringing a date."

"Is it normal to bring a date to a state dinner?"

"No."

"Well, that's reassuring."

Abbey turns to talk to the First Lady of Indonesia. Leo inclines his head towards Annabeth. "What we're about to eat is dinner. Dinner is a meal we eat later in the day and it traditionally involves cooked meats."

Before Annabeth can respond, Leo looks across the table at Jed who is being spoken to by the Chief of Protocol. Jed stands up and Leo joins him. They both leave the room.

Abbey turns to Annabeth. "It's a hurricane. It's changed direction and that's not good."

"Okay."

"They'll be back. Maybe."

Twenty minutes later, Jed returns to the table. "My apologies." He sits back down and looks directly at Annabeth, but is addressing the table. "Leo McGarry will rejoin us as soon as he can."

Dinner is over by the time Leo returns to the table. Annabeth and Abbey are talking, but when Leo sits down, Annabeth turns to him. "What you missed was dinner. Dinner is a meal we eat later in the day, but don't worry, it pales in comparison to breakfast."

Leo smirks. "Abbey, will you excuse us? I may have missed dinner, but not dancing." He takes Annabeth's hand. "I'm sorry to have abandoned you."

"It's fine. The President and First Lady are wonderful hosts, and I think Dr. Bartlet was happy to talk to me."

"Oh, I can imagine."

Annabeth laughs, "She did seem pretty delighted by the incident at my door with the guards."

"That's great. Thank you. I'll never hear the end of that."

"You're surprising me again."

"How's that?"

"You're a very good dancer."

"It helps to have a good partner."

"We'll have to do this more often."

"You wear that dress and I'll do anything you want."

"Are you trying to get me into the situation room, Leo?"

He laughs and pulls her closer to him. "Marilyn's got nothing on you."

Leo and Annabeth walk into Leo's house after the State Dinner.

"I'm starving."

"Oh, did you not get to eat dinner?"

Leo shoots her a look as he walks into the kitchen. He pulls out a few things and starts making himself a sandwich. Annabeth grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and sits down at his island. "Abbey was quite generous in sharing information about you."

"Oh yeah?"

"She mentioned you'd been in a relationship with Jordon Kendall."

Leo swallows. "Yeah."

"Which is interesting because you told me you hadn't been in a serious relationship since your marriage and nor had you slept with anyone else."

"Yeah."

"You can see how those things would seem to contradict Abbey telling me you dated Jordon Kendall for several months."

"I can see that, yes."

"Did you lie to me?"

"No. It is true that I dated Jordon. Although it lasted several months, we did not spend much time together. This was, understandably, a problem for Jordon. It is also true that I have not slept with anyone since Jenny."

"Okay, so…"

"I'm a little uncomfortable here, Annabeth. It feels like I'm talking about Jordon in a way that she doesn't deserve."

"I get that, Leo. And I appreciate you not wanting to do this, but you chose to tell me about your history. You didn't need to do that. But, you did, and now I want to know that you did not lie to me."

"Jordon and I… she is brilliant, accomplished, and frighteningly good at her job. She is also kind, and has an unerring moral compass. She and I got together and it was...It was nice. But it…we weren't… Annabeth, really. This doesn't feel great."

"Okay. Let's end this. You didn't lie to me?"

"No."

"That's enough." She reaches over and takes half his sandwich.

"Hey! You got dinner."

"I don't like cooked meats." She stands up and opens his fridge. "You want scrambled eggs?"

"You're gonna make scrambled eggs wearing that dress?

Annabeth starts to take off her dress. "No."

"You want me to go get you a shirt or something?"

Annabeth steps out of her dress, and, completely naked, turns to Leo's fridge. "No, I'm good."

Leo grins. "Are you barefoot in my kitchen?"

Annabeth slips her heels back on. "No."

Leo throws his head back and howls. "You've officially destroyed me, Annabeth Schott. I will never recover."


	15. Dislocation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth is attacked while lecturing in Rome.

Leo is in his office when his phone rings

He smiles as he picks it up. "Hey you. How's Rome?"

"I'm going to preface what I am about to say by assuring you that I am absolutely fine."

"What? What's going on?"

"I am in the hospital."

Leo shoots out of his chair. "You're what? Annabeth! Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine. There was an incident, but security dealt with it."

"An incident? What the hell does that mean?"

"I was giving my lecture at the University when a man rushed the podium."

"Did he get to you?"

"It all happened very quickly. He got to me, but security got to him seconds later and I am fine."

"How does this happen? Was this guy armed? What the hell was security doing that he made it to you?"

"He had a knife, but he was not able to use it. Security was on him in seconds, Leo. I don't know how it happened, but I am okay."

"Why are you in the hospital? Are they just checking things?"

"No, the guy dislocated my shoulder."

"JESUS CHRIST! He dislocated your…"

"Yes. He tackled me and when I hit the ground..."

"This is not…Annabeth. You have to cancel the rest of your public…anything with crowds. You're not getting the security you need, and…"

"Leo. I am fine. This was bad, I'm not arguing. But I'm not canceling anything. I give two more lectures at the university and, obviously, there will be different security standards, but…"

"No. You cannot go back to the university. You don't know if this guy was acting alone or whether he's part of something. You wanna give them another shot? No. You have to cancel."

"I do that, Leo, and every guy who has even thought about doing this comes out for me because it will have worked. They will have found the way to get to me."

Leo sits back down. "Annabeth, please."

"No, Leo. And you know I'm right."

"I don't know that."

"You'd tell President Bartlet to park it in the Oval Office because…"

"The President has the Secret Service! He has the world's best! You have guys who don't get to a guy until he's already on you! A guy with a knife got to you! He could have…"

"Okay. Hey. Okay."

Leo puts his head in his hands. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm scared, too."

"Today happened to you and I'm asking you to make me feel better. I'm sorry."

"I give two more lectures with different, stricter security measures and then I am back on a plane."

"Yeah."

"They're telling me the car's here. I gotta go. But I will call you tomorrow once I'm done, ok?"

"Okay. Yeah. Annabeth?"

"Yeah."

"Don't let the bastards get you down."

She smiles into the phone. "I don't, Leo."

Leo hangs up, sits down and stares into space. He hears the President come into the Oval. He puts his phone down on his desk and walks in to see Pres. Bartlet

"Leo! Lord Marbury has very strong feelings about Brandon McGann being invited to the White House."

"Is he here?"

"Brandon McGann?"

"No. Lord Marbury."

"He's talking to Abbey."

"Poor Abbey."

"Yeah, she'll be fine, but you need to follow up on the McGann thing, ok?

"Yeah."

Jed looks up from his desk. "You ok?"

"Yeah."

"Leo."

"I'm fine. Annabeth just called. She was giving a lecture and a guy rushed her. Got to her before security got to him."

Jed rips off his glasses. "Leo! Is she ok?"

"Dislocated shoulder. But yeah."

"I can't believe…where was security?"

"They were there. I don't know. She said they were on him quick, but he got to her, you know? What kind of security lets him get there?"

"Yeah."

"I'll look at the McGann thing."

"Yeah. I'm glad she's ok, Leo. That's a scary thing."

"Thank you, Mr. President."

Hours later

Leo and Jed are in the Oval Office

"Toby talked to Lord Marbury. We're good on the McGann thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"John complimented Abbey's cleavage again."

"I'm not sure why you let him in the building."

"Really, Gerald?"

"Okay. Time for me to go back to my office."

Jed starts to gather his stuff to return to the residence.

"You talked to Annabeth?"

"No. She'll call tomorrow."

"I don't like you hurting, Leo, but I don't mind seeing you care so much."


	16. Unicorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo is falling hard.

Annabeth is walking down the hall towards Leo's office.

C.J. runs into her. "Hey! No more sling?"

"No more sling. I am officially able to button my own shirts."

"That's great. How you feeling?"

"Good. Is Leo in there?"

"Yeah, he's just finishing up a meeting. You want to come wait in mine?"

"That would be great. Thanks."

They start walking to C.J.'s office. "I don't know how you do it, C.J."

"Do what?"

"Work with only men."

"There are women in the building, Annabeth."

"Yeah, but not at your level."

"Nancy McNally, the First Lady?"

"Not here every day. You're kind of a unicorn around here, C.J."

They walk into C.J.'s office and C.J. collapses into her chair. "I know."

"Does it bother you?"

"Does it bother me that men run the world? No. Of course not. I mean, look around. It's going so well."

Annabeth laughs. "Anytime you want to come work with me, you just let me know."

"I love my job, Annabeth."

"I know. And you're exceptionally good at it."

"Thank you. It doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice to have more people in meetings who aren't confused by my breasts."

"Yeah."

"I do love the men here. At least most days. Josh, Sam, Toby. The President. Leo. It makes me happy to see Leo happy, Annabeth. He deserves it."

"He loves his job."

"That he does. Professionally fulfilled and successful isn't always the same as happy, though, is it?"

Annabeth looks at C.J. carefully. "No, it's not. Not always."

"Did the sling just come off today?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because you missed a button."

Annabeth looks down. "Shit. Well, at least no one in my meetings today was confused about my breasts. They got an eyeful."

C.J. laughs as Leo walks in.

"Hey." He kisses Annabeth on the cheek. "Margaret told me you were over here."

C.J. stands up. "I'm off to see Toby."

She runs into Josh just outside the door to her office. He looks in her office window and sees Leo and Annabeth. Annabeth is sitting on the arm of C.J.'s couch and Leo is leaning into her. Annabeth says something and Leo laughs.

"Women love power."

C.J. looks at Josh. "You think Annabeth is with Leo because of his power?"

"Yeah, you know, older man, powerful guy."

"Because Dr. Annabeth Schott is such a slouch, she needs a powerful man."

Josh turns to her. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm just saying, you know, power is an aphrodisiac."

"Which explains why you, Sam and Toby are beating the women off with a stick."

Josh grins. "I have my fans."

"They just don't know you yet. And Annabeth is not with Leo because he's powerful."

"Okay. Why's she with him?"

C.J. turns and looks back at them. "They make each other happy, Josh. It's not that complicated."

Back in C.J.'s office

"You going back to the office?"

"No. I'm going home. I'm going to celebrate my relocated shoulder with a long shower and the ability to wash my hair with both hands."

"Okay. I gotta…" Leo nods his head towards the door.

"I know. I just stopped by to let you know that I have full use of my body again."

"I'd like to have full use of your…"

Josh sticks his head in the door. "Leo, we have to be in the Roosevelt Room."

Still looking at Annabeth, Leo answers, "Yeah. I'm coming."

Josh steps back out the door.

"Come over later."

"Might be late."

Annabeth smiles. "I'll wait up."

Josh and Leo are walking to the Roosevelt Room.

"This seems like a thing, Leo. You and Annabeth."

"You play poker, right Josh?"

"Yeah."

"You know what the odds are of a royal flush?"

"No."

"It's 1 out of 649,740."

"That's…unlikely."

"Yep. So if you get that hand you bet the house, Josh. You put all your money on the table and you bet the house."


	17. Hippopotamus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo tells Annabeth something unexpected.

Later that night. Leo walks into Annabeth's house. She comes rushing down the stairs.

"Leo! Close the door! Quickly! Quickly!"

Leo slams the door shut and rushes to meet her. "What's going on? Are you okay?

"I'm fine. It's Hippopotamus. He escaped!"

"What?"

Annabeth rushes back out of the hall and towards the stairs. "Hippopotamus the hamster. I was supposed to just put new chips or whatever in his cage and then he…"

"Annabeth, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Julia, my sister. She and my niece, Bella. They are driving from Georgia to New York to go see Julia's dad."

"Yeah?"

"And Bella brought her hamster, but it just got to be a pain in the car and they were worried about my dad's dogs, so I told them they could drop him here and I'd keep him until they drove back through next week."

"Okay."

"And I've had him for like an hour, Leo, and I've lost him." She starts pulling pillows and cushions off the couch. "Which Julia is going to love because she doesn't think I can care for anything, even plants. I mean, she's the maternal one, right? So good at doing all that stuff." She drops down to her knees and starts looking under the couch and chairs. "And now I'm going to have to tell her that I've lost Hippopotamus. But, I'm not going to do that, Leo, because I am going to find him."

"Okay. Well, I'll help you."

"Great! Let's split up. I'll stay down here and you look upstairs."

"Okay. What does he look like?"

Annabeth is crawling around on the living room floor "I don't have a wanted poster, Leo! He looks like a hamster. If you find a small, furry rodent, assume it is Hippopotamus."

Leo throws his jacket on the back of Annabeth's couch and heads upstairs. A few minutes later, he shouts triumphantly. "Annabeth! I found him! I've got him!"

Annabeth rushes upstairs to Leo who is in her bathroom. He's holding Hippopotamus in his cupped hands. "I got him! Ow! Fuck!" He drops Hippopotamus in the toilet. "Dammit. He bit me!"

Leo and Annabeth look in the toilet.

"Leo! You have to grab him."

"Absolutely not. That thing is vicious."

"Leo! I am not fishing the hamster out of the toilet."

"Well then he's staying in there."

"You're not going to help me?"

"I did help. I found him. You wanna thank me?"

"No, Leo, I do not want to thank you! And I am quite sure Hippopotamus the hamster does not want to thank you seeing as how you flung him into the toilet."

They look back at the toilet.

"You wanna go get security?"

"What? You want to shoot him now, Leo? Drowning Hippopotamus was not enough?"

"You gotta stop calling him by his name. It's ridiculous."

"Okay. Here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to go get gloves from downstairs. Then I will grab Hippopotamus and you will have a towel ready for me to put him in. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Annabeth comes back upstairs wearing purple mittens. Leo is standing at the ready with a towel. She reaches in, grabs the hamster and drops him in the towel.

"Is he breathing?"

"How the hell would I know, Annabeth? You wanna see if his tiny little hamster chest is moving?"

"Rub him. With the towel. He might be hypothermic!"

Leo rubs him with the towel. He looks up to see Annabeth standing there, looking very concerned, wearing bright purple mittens that are dripping toilet water all over the floor. He starts to laugh.

"This…is…insane." He's hard to understand because he's laughing so hard.

"Leo! Is Hippopotamus breathing?"

He's barely able to get his words out. "Oh. Jesus. You gotta stop using his name. I can't…" He hands Annabeth the towel and braces himself against the sink. He is shaking with laughter.

Annabeth starts to laugh "Did we just…did we just fish a hamster out of a toilet?"

Leo is gasping out his words. "You were all… 'Leo!... Hippopotamus the… hamster…. does not thank you.'

Annabeth looks down at her gloved hands and the hamster in the towel and laughs harder. "You…threw…him…in the…toilet!"

Leo turns, they both are laughing so hard they're crying. He stretches out his arm and leans on Annabeth's shoulder. He's practically doubled over. "Annabeth…Holy shit…" He stands up and wipes tears away. "I goddamn love you."

Annabeth stops laughing. She stares at Leo. He's still recovering from laughing so hard. And then he realizes what he said.


	18. That's A Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth's sister Julia helps Annabeth figure out what love might actually be.

Leo and Annabeth stand in stunned silence for a few seconds and then Annabeth looks down at the wet hamster in a towel in her hands.

"I'm just gonna go…"

"Yeah."

"And put Hippopotamus back in his cage."

"Yeah."

She doesn't move for a second, and then she quickly leaves the bathroom. Leo looks up at the ceiling and exhales.

Annabeth comes back down the hall with the mittens wrapped up in the towel. "What do you think? Do I have to burn these?" She smiles at Leo.

"Oh yeah. Definitely."

"I'm gonna go downstairs and throw these out or get the matches. Whichever."

"Right. Yeah. I should…it's late. I should head home."

"Sure. Yeah. I mean, early morning meetings?"

"Yeah. We've got a thing with the teamsters."

"Okay."

They walk downstairs together. Leo grabs his jacket off the couch. Annabeth is standing at the front door.

She kisses him. "Let's talk tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'll call you." His smile is tight.

Next week – Julia and Bella are driving back through DC on their way home to Georgia. They're picking up Hippopotamus the hamster and spending the night at Annabeth's.

"Is she asleep?"

Julia collapses on the couch next to Annabeth, "yes, mercifully. Next time I decide to do a road trip with my five year old daughter to visit my father, remind me that I like neither driving nor my father."

"Good visit?"

Julia laughs. "He hasn't changed, Annabeth. I keep thinking he will, but he's still an asshole."

"How you emerged from Mom and Jeff I will never know."

"Mom's taste in men was atrocious."

"Hey! My dad is a prince among men."

Julia laughs. "Your dad is a man among bar stools."

Annabeth hits her. "Allow me my delusions."

"You don't have any, Annabeth. You didn't even have delusions as a kid. It was one of the hardest parts of being your big sister. I couldn't protect you from anything because you always saw it for what it was."

Annabeth sighs. "Yeah."

Julia looks around Annabeth's living room. "I can't help but notice the absence of man things around here Annabeth. Where's the guy?"

"Leo?"

"Is there another one?"

"No. And I'm not sure there's that one."

"What happened?"

Annabeth leans her head back against the couch and looks up at the ceiling. "I screwed up."

"You chose work over him too many times?"

"No, he gets that. But thank you for reminding me of my past failures."

"Okay. Then what?"

"He told me he loves me."

"Annabeth! What?!"

"I don't know, Julia. We were here and this ridiculous thing happened and we were laughing, like cannot breathe kind of laughing, and I'm not even sure he meant what he said."

"Well what did you say? Do you love him?"

"I didn't say anything. That's the problem. I panicked and he left and we've been playing the work card now for like a week. He tells me he's busy and I tell him the same and we just…"

"But could you say it? Are you in love with him?"

Annabeth stands up and paces around the living room. "I don't know, Julia. We've been together for like two months. How can you possibly know if you love someone that quickly."

"I don't know, because you can. I don't think love happens on some sort of an established time frame. Do you think he meant it? I mean, do you think he loves you?"

"That's part of the problem. I think… look, I make him laugh and I make him hard. And that's great, but is that love?"

Julia laughs. "Yeah, actually."

Annabeth looks at her.

"Annabeth, it's not that complicated. You like talking to him, you like being around him, and you like having sex with him. That's all there is. That's a life together."

"That's…insanely simplistic."

"You're right. Much better to overthink it, and hide in your office. Annabeth! You've been happier in the last few months than you have ever been. And seeing as how I have known you your entire life, I can say this with some confidence."

"Work makes me happy. I have been happy before!"

"Yes, work does make you happy. And you are exceptionally good at what you do, as you are well aware. But, this is different happy."

"Yeah."

"Yeah." Julia looks towards the kitchen. "Is there cereal in there? I'm hungry."

Annabeth nods. "In the tall cabinet."

Julia gets up. "Great. I'm going to go in the kitchen and eat cereal. You are going to stay here and call Leo."


	19. If This Isn't Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth tells Leo how she feels

The next day: Leo's office. Late. Leo hears Margaret in the outer office and looks up from his desk as Annabeth walks in.

"Hey Leo."

"Hey. I wasn't…did you try to call?"

She sits down in front of his desk. "No."

"Okay."

"You'd have told me you were busy."

He takes off his glasses and waves them over the papers on his desk. "I am busy."

"Yeah. I know."

Leo sits back in his chair and looks at Annabeth. "You got a guinea pig on the loose or something?"

Annabeth laughs. "You would not be the guy I would come to for help with that."

"I think I acquitted myself pretty well in that situation."

"Yeah, well, I fashioned tiny water wings for Hippopotamus just in case you guys are ever around each other again."

Leo stands up and looks towards the door through to the Oval Office. "I gotta finish some things here." He comes around the desk towards Annabeth. "Maybe we could meet up tomorrow or something."

Annabeth stands up. "Yeah. We could definitely do that."

They turn towards the door to Margaret's office. Annabeth reaches out and shuts it. She turns around and grabs Leo by the lapels of his jacket and kisses him passionately. She pushes him back against the bookshelf behind the door. He doesn't react for a second and then puts his hands in her hair, returning the kiss. They are locked together until Annabeth pulls away. She keeps her hands on his lapels, their bodies still touching.

"I love being around you. I love watching you shoot your cuffs after you put your jacket on. I love the way you look at me, and I love the way you own a room. I love making you laugh, and I love waking up with you. We dance like we were meant to, we talk like we're ripping each other's clothes off, and god help me, Leo, but I can't go five seconds without thinking about your hands on my body. If this isn't love, I don't know what is."

Leo stares at her.

"I love you, Leo Thomas McGarry."

She reopens the door to Margaret's office. "I just thought you should know that." She straightens his jacket and walks out.


	20. Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo lets Mallory in on a big decision.

A few months later.

Mallory is sitting in Leo's kitchen. They've just finished lunch.

"If living in your parent's house didn't come with serious social judgment I'd think of moving back in with you, Dad. I eat chips for lunch. You make dover sole."

"You're always welcome, but yeah, moving in with me might limit your social life a little bit."

"I barely have a social life, but it would definitely make your love fest with Annabeth more difficult."

"It's not a…"

"Oh, it is! You guys are disgustingly happy and the fact that my father is getting more action than…"

"Okey doke." Leo stands up and takes the plates over to the sink.

Mallory laughs. "I'm just saying. Being around the two of you is terrible. It's ruining my plans to just settle for any guy with a pulse and a reasonable grasp of the English language."

"Mallory, you are smart and beautiful and any guy would be…"

"Dad! Relax. I'm just saying that I am very happy for you and Annabeth. But, yeah, if you could stop making the whole soul mate thing seem actually possible, that would be great."

She walks over to the sink to dry dishes. "You know you have a dishwasher, right?"

"Yeah. I like doing dishes. It relaxes me." He hands Mallory a plate. "And, listen, I loved your mom. Don't make it sound like me and Annabeth is…"

"I know you loved Mom. And I know you still do. I'm not comparing, Dad. I just love seeing you this happy."

"Yeah. Okay."

They finish the dishes and Mallory looks at her watch. "I should go."

Mallory gathers up her stuff and she and Leo walk to the door.

"Abbey called me about Jed's birthday plan. She wants me to go."

"Yeah, you definitely should. It's gonna be fun."

"Is this like a formal White House thing?"

"No. Just the family and staff. It'll be in the residence."

"So no ball gown required."

"Nope."

"Okay." She kisses him on the cheek. "I'll be there."

"Mal. Before you go...I need to show you something and then I need you to tell me I'm crazy, ok?"

"Umm, sure."

Leo pulls a ring box out of his pocket.

"Dad! Oh my God! Is that..."

"Yeah."

"You're going to ask Annabeth to marry you!"

"Thinking about it, yeah."

"You have a ring! That is way more than thinking about it."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Mallory starts to cry.

"Oh Mal, no. I'm sorry." He puts the box back in his pocket. "That wasn't fair. Your mom…"

"Dad. Shut up. I'm not crying because I'm upset. I'm crying because I love you so much and this is…this is just the best news." She wipes tears away. "Do this, Dad. Ask her."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely. I will never forgive you if you don't."

Leo laughs. "Well, I'd hate to…"

Mallory throws her arms around him. "I couldn't be happier for you." She lets go and looks at him. "My mascara is everywhere. Including on your shirt. You should propose in something else."

"I'll do that. I love you, Mal."


	21. Something's Happened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo gets a terrible phone call.

A week later. Early morning. Leo is in his office with Josh and Toby.

Leo hands Josh a piece of paper. "You'll meet with Skinner?"

"Yeah."

"This is important, Josh."

"Yeah. I know. We're good."

"Okay. Toby, you need to get with C.J., let her know she's gonna get questions."

"Yeah."

Margaret walks in. "I'm sorry. Leo, I have Julia Schott on the phone."

"Julia? Annabeth's sister?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Well, tell her I'll call her back."

"Leo, I think you need to take this."

Leo looks at Margaret. "An Iraqi oil tanker carrying smuggled oil and the United Nations think otherwise. Tell her I'll call her back."

"Leo. Something has happened to Annabeth. I really need you to pick up the phone."

Leo lunges across his desk and grabs his phone. "Julia. This is Leo McGarry. What's going...Okay. Yes. Where? Okay. I'm headed there now. I will call you as soon as I can."

Josh and Toby stand up. "Leo, what's…"

"Annabeth's hurt. Something happened when she was going into work this morning. I've gotta…" He looks desperately around the room.

"Leo, go! We've got this."

Leo snaps back in, grabs his jacket from Josh and races out of the room.

At the hospital – Leo is on the phone with Julia.

"I don't have much. The doctors won't…they won't tell me." His voice breaks and he puts his hand over his eyes. He takes a deep breath. "I talked to Frank – he's the head of security at Annabeth's office building. He said…he said she was getting out of her car in the parking garage when a man…" He starts to cry. "When a man…approached her and shot her."

He puts his head against the wall and wills himself to pull it together. "You're headed to the airport? I need you to call my assistant, Margaret, and give her your flight information. I am going to have some guys meet your flight. They will get you out of the airport and here as quickly as they can, okay?"

Back at the White House

Josh, Toby, Sam and C.J. are huddled in Toby's office.

Josh is slumped in the chair in front of Toby's desk. "He just ran out. Maybe an hour ago?"

C.J. looks at Toby. "What happened? What do we know?"

"We don't know anything. Has anyone called him?"

Josh stands up and paces towards the door. "He's not picking up." He turns and looks at Toby. "Has anyone told the President?"

They all look at each other.

Josh is waiting outside the Oval Office.

"Josh! Come on in."

He walks in. The President is sitting behind his desk. "What do we know?"

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"What do we know, Josh! Is she okay?"

"You already know?"

"Leo called me on the way to the hospital."

Josh shakes his head. "Of course he did."

"Third time I'm asking, Josh. What do we know?"

"Nothing, sir. I was just coming to tell you. I didn't know Leo called you."

"I can't go to the hospital. It would cause a whole thing. And it would distract from…listen, you need to be here, too, because you're Chief of Staff today. Leo can't be trying to do his job from there, but he will try. You need to do this for him, Josh."

"Yes sir."

"Abbey will go to the hospital. A doctor is more useful to Leo right now than a President."

"Yes sir."

"Okay. You find something out, you pull me out of whatever you have to pull me out of to tell me, okay?"

"Yes sir."

Jed looks down at his desk. "Leo's a tough son of a bitch, Josh, but this…this will knock him out."

"Sam's trying to find some things out. I'll get you whenever we know something."

"Yeah."

"Thank you, Mr. President."


	22. All You Can Do Is Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo, Abbey and Julia wait for news at the hospital.

Abbey arrives at the hospital – she rushes through the door with several Secret Service and spots Leo.

"Leo!" She grabs him and hugs him.

"Abbey. What are you…"

"I got here as fast as I could. What's happening?"

"I don't know. The doctors aren't telling me. They're…" He gestures towards the doors. "She's in the O.R."

Abbey walks away from him and grabs a nurse outside the waiting room. "I need to speak to someone on the team for Annabeth Schott."

She looks back at Leo, who is sitting in a chair in the waiting area, head in his hands.

About 20 mins later – Abbey walks back in the room. Leo stands up.

"Annabeth was shot once in the chest. The bullet lacerated her pulmonary artery. They are doing everything they can, Leo. Her surgeons are among the best in the business and they are…"

Leo sits down. "Abbey. I cannot lose her. I cannot…"

"I know. You're not going to, Leo. Her doctors are doing everything right. She's a fighter and she pulls through this."

Abbey sits down next to Leo and takes his hand. "She's going to be in surgery for 12 or more hours, Leo. What can I get you? Do you want me to send someone to your house?"

"No. I'm…I don't need anything. Julia, Annabeth's sister, she's flying in from Georgia. I should…" He starts to stand up. Abbey grabs his arm. "Leo, sit down. You don't need to do anything. Margaret will take care of it."

Leo looks at her, clearly trying to pull himself together. "The President. He needs…"

"Leo. Look at me. You don't need to do anything. The President is fine. The White House is still standing. Josh is stepping up. Everybody is stepping up. They want you to be here."

Leo sits back down. "I love her so much, Abbey. I don't know what to…" He starts to cry, his shoulders and chest heaving in silent sobs.

Abbey kneels in front of him, and pulls his head against her chest. "I know, Leo. I know."

Six hours later/Eight hours since Annabeth arrived at the hospital.

Abbey and Leo are still in the waiting room. A woman who looks just like Annabeth comes through the doors.

Leo stands up. "Julia?"

Julia is wild-eyed with fear. "Where is she?"

"Julia. I'm Leo McGarry."

"Oh my God, Leo." She throws her arms around him. "What's going on?"

"She's in surgery. It's going to be a few more hours."

Abbey stands up. "Julia, I'm Abbey Bartlet."

Julia looks at Leo and then back at Abbey. "Yes. Dr. Bartlet. I know who you are. I'm sorry. I didn't…"

Abbey looks back at Leo. "I'm going to step outside."

Julia looks at Leo, searching his face for answers.

"She was shot in the chest, Julia. The bullet…it hit an artery."

Julia puts her hand over her mouth. "Is she going to be…what are they saying about her chances?"

"They aren't saying anything. We're just waiting for the surgeons."

Julia sits down. Leo sits down next to her. Julia takes his hand. Leo looks down at his hand in hers. "You look just like Annabeth."

"We both look like our mom."

Abbey comes back in the room. "Leo, Jed's on the phone." She holds out her cell phone. Leo takes it and walks out of the room. Abbey sits down next to Julia.

"Dr. Bartlet. Do you know more than what…"

"No, honey. I don't."

"Okay." Julia takes a deep breath and stands up. "This is surreal. I was just getting my daughter ready for school when I got the call from Annabeth's office. I couldn't understand what they were telling me. I had to ask them to repeat it three or four times."

"When Jed was shot, I tried to just focus on what I could control."

Julia turns to her. "And what was that?"

"Nothing." She takes Julia's hand. "Not a damn thing. All you can do is wait."

Leo walks back in. He hands Abbey back her phone and she stands up. "I have to go." She takes Leo's face in her hands. "I love you, Leo. So does Jed." Leo nods.

"Sam's been on the phone with Annabeth's office. He has some information for you. Whenever you want it." Abbey turns to Julia. "I am so sorry to be meeting you like this."


	23. Get Back On This Raft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia and Leo in the hospital.

Abbey walks out and Leo and Julia sit back down.

"Was that the President on the phone just then?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. And that was the First Lady I was just speaking to?"

"Yeah."

"Is it possible that this is the most awful and bizarre dream I have ever had?"

"Afraid not."

"How much longer until they tell us something?"

Leo looks at his watch. "Three, maybe four hours. I'm gonna step outside and make a phone call. You want anything? Coffee or…"

Julia shakes her head.

Leo walks outside and calls Sam.

"Leo!"

"The First Lady said you talked to Annabeth's office. What do they know?"

"You know they got the guy?"

"Yeah. Frank – the security head – he said they shot him in the garage."

"Yeah. He's dead."

"Who is he?"

"They don't know."

"Okay. What the hell do they know, Sam? How does this happen? She just gave up her personal security a few weeks ago. No one saw this coming?"

"The garage is locked and you need a key card to get in. There are cameras. It looks like he got in last night. He drove his car in right behind another one that had a key card."

"They know the first car?"

"Yeah. It was someone who worked in the building. He didn't realize the guy behind him was anything. Security had their eyes on her as she arrived and when they saw a man approaching her, they were in the garage in 30 seconds."

"Too goddamn late, Sam."

"Yeah."

"Okay. I gotta go."

Leo walks back into the waiting room. Julia looks up. "Is there news?" Leo shakes his head and sits down.

"On the plane...I was thinking about when Annabeth and I were kids. We'd play this game at the beach called 'Every Man for Himself.' We'd float out on a raft to where it was deep enough that neither one of us could stand, and then we'd try to push each other off the raft. If you got pushed off, you had to try and climb back on while the other person did everything they could to keep you in the water. I'm three years older than Annabeth, so I usually won. I'd get her in the water but then she would just fight. I mean, she would launch herself at that raft."

"This was a game?"

Julia smiles. "It sounds a little Lord of the Flies?"

"A little bit."

"I guess we knew we had to count on ourselves...Anyway, eventually Annabeth figured out that if she made me laugh really hard, I wouldn't be able to keep her off the raft. So she would do this ridiculous thing where she'd pretend to be a whale and she'd make these insane sounds."

Leo starts to smile.

"It was a cross between a goose and maybe like a tuba sound. She'd sort of flop her arms around and make the sounds and I could not keep it together. And then she'd just climb right back on the raft. If anyone had been anywhere near us, they would have thought we were nuts."

Julia turns to face Leo. "I guess what I'm saying is that Annabeth has always been a fighter. And she'll do whatever she needs to do to get back on this raft."

Leo starts to say something but his voice breaks and he can't get the words out. Julia takes his hand. "We're not going to lose her, Leo. We're just not."

Three hours later

Julia looks at her watch. "Why aren't they telling us anything?" She's pacing the floor. "They said twelve hours, right? It's been twelve." She runs her left hand through her hair and looks down.

"Your sister does that."

"Does what?"

"She runs her left hand through her hair and looks down when she's trying to remember something or really thinking about something."

Julia looks at him. "You really love her, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Yeah. She's kind of crazy about you, too." She smiles. "It matters to me that she's happy, Leo. Other than Bella, she is my world."

"You need to call home?"

"I don't know what to tell them, Leo. What am I supposed to say to Bella? That men are so angry at her aunt for saying that women have a right to…" She starts to cry. "I've begged her to stop. To find something else. Something that doesn't make people want to kill you. But, she wouldn't hear it. She'd say 'Bella deserves better. We have to work to give her something better.' I love her so much, Leo. I can't tell Bella…"

Leo hugs her. "Okay. It's okay."

The doors open and two doctors walk in. "Ms. Schott?'


	24. We Got Her Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth wakes up.

"Yes." Julia grabs Leo's hand.

"Your sister is out of surgery. It went well, and she is in stable condition. The injury she sustained was very serious. In addition to the damage to her pulmonary artery, she had a collapsed lung and some other smaller complications. We are going to continue to monitor her very closely. You can see her in two hours, but she will remain sedated, so you will not be able to talk to her."

Julia turns into Leo's body and he wraps his arm around her. "Is she…I mean, things went well, so…"

"They went as well as they could, Mr. McGarry. All we can do now is wait and see. But, the first part is over and she did very well."

Leo nods. Julia is sobbing into his shoulder. The doctors leave them.

The next day – Annabeth has woken up and the nurses have let Julia and Leo go see her. Julia has been in her room for a little while. Leo is waiting in the hallway. Julia comes out.

"Hey, you ready to come in?"

Leo nods. He and Julia walk back in the room. Leo walks over to the bed and takes Annabeth's hand. He gently brushes her hair away from her forehead. "Hey, sunshine. How you doing?"

She smiles at him as best she can. "I'm gettin' ready to get down."

Julia laughs. Leo looks over at her. "What?"

Julia has tears in her eyes. "It's a song…she and I both love this song by Josh Ritter – Gettin' Ready to Get Down…Annabeth, honey, do you want me to play…"

Annabeth's voice is rough from having been intubated "Yeah. Play it."

Julia grabs her phone from her bag and carries it over to Annabeth. She turns the music on and grabs Leo's hand. "We've got her back, Leo. She's going to be okay."

Said your soul needed saving, so they sent you off to Bible school  
You learned a little more than they had heard was in the Golden Rule  
"Be good to everybody, be a strength to the weak  
Be a joy to the joyful, be the laughter in the grief"  
And give your love freely to whoever that you please  
Don't let nobody tell you 'bout who you oughta be  
And when you get damned in the popular opinion  
It's just another damn of the damns you're not giving

I'm getting ready to get down  
Getting ready to get down  
Getting ready to get down

Mama got a look at you and got a little worried  
Papa got a look at you and got a little worried  
Pastor got a look and said, ya'll had better hurry  
Send her off to a little bible college in Missouri  
And now you come back sayin' you know a little bit about  
Every little thing they ever hoped you'd never figure out  
The Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the Sermon on the Mount  
If you wanna see a miracle watch me get down

And I'm getting ready to get down  
Getting ready to get down


	25. The Timer Goes Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery is not so easy.

Four weeks later – Saturday morning. Julia is back in Georgia. Annabeth calls her.

"Hey Jules."

"Hey there. How you feeling?"

"Like I got shot."

"That's weird. Have you talked to the doctors about it?"

"Yeah. They say it's probably because I got shot."

"Makes sense."

"I miss you, Jules. It was nice having you around for a while."

"Annabeth, that makes it sound like we had a nice visit. I was there nursing you back to health after a near death experience."

"And you did such a good job. You can hear how not dead I am."

"You are aware that gallows humor is a coping mechanism, and not a very effective one in the long term?"

"I'm not sure I have any other coping mechanisms."

"Sure you do. Compulsive working; running away from emotional attachments; drinking."

"I don't drink."

Julie laughs. "Two out of three."

"I think that description may be better suited to Leo than me these days."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"I'm being serious, Jules. You saw it when you were still here."

"Yeah."

"I don't mind the work piece. I get that. But, when he is around. It's just different."

"I thought maybe it was because I was an awkward interloper."

"Apparently not because it hasn't gotten better since you left."

"I'm sorry, Annabee. What do you think's going on?"

"It feels like he doesn't know what to do with me now. Everything is serious and I think he's scared to touch me."

"Give him time. I was there in the hospital with him, and he was scared shitless."

"Yeah. I know."

"He wants to take care of you."

"I don't want to be taken care of."

"I know."

"You think that's a problem?"

"No. It's not a problem, but it might be a problem for Leo."

"Yeah. Do you know what I keep thinking about? Do you remember that time when we tried to make blueberry muffins that one Mother's Day?"

Julia laughs. "Oh God, that was a disaster."

"Exactly. We had no idea what we were doing. Not like Mom or anyone used the kitchen much. We were flying pretty blind."

"We had that cookbook, though. Remember? We got it from the library?"

"Oh, I remember. We were going to make the muffins for Mother's Day and then start our own business after that."

"What were we going to call it?"

"Our business? It was going to be JuBee Pastries. We thought we were very fancy saying pastries."

"That's right! We were so cosmopolitan, Annabeth."

"We sat in the kitchen the whole time they were in the oven, waiting for the timer to go off."

"Yeah. And then we couldn't figure out how to get the muffins out of the tin."

"Yes! We just stared at that thing like it was the space shuttle and we had suddenly been called upon to execute critical repairs mid-flight."

"There was a distinct feeling of panic."

"And frustration! Like, we had done everything right and now this stupid piece of metal was going to ruin everything."

"We mauled those muffins, Annabee."

"It was bad. They were not coming out of that tin without a fight and we went down swinging."

"So lemme guess. You're the muffins and Leo is the baker?"

"You know me too well."

"Yeah."

"But it does feel like that, Jules. Like Leo sat in that hospital waiting room waiting for the timer to go off. And we've done everything right, but he can't figure out what to do next. Like the me that emerged is just not what he expected. And I don't think I've changed. So, what has?"

"Maybe the fact that you almost died. I know you don't want to go there, Bee, but it's true."

"Do I have some choice I'm not aware of? Because it seems to me that my only option is to just keep going. Is curling up on the floor an option, because if so, let me know."

"No one wants you to curl up on the floor."

"Then what do you, what does he, want?"

"I can't speak for Leo, Annabee. What I want is for you to be safe. I want you to be safe and to reach your 100th birthday so that my 103rd year old ass can help you blow out the candles."

"Being safe means not being me."

"I know that. Which is why I can't have what I want."

"Are you angry at me?"

"No. But others pay a price, Annabee, for you being exactly who you are in exactly the way you want."

"It appears I pay a price, too."

"Yes, you do. The difference is that you are choosing to pay that price. The rest of us are merely along for the terrifying and possibly short ride."

"I did not choose to get shot! I am not responsible for violent misogynists and their fucked up…"

"Annabee. Easy."

"I'm not, Jules! I am not going to be made to feel guilty because some men are angry, violent monsters!"

"You are not responsible in any way for getting shot. The only person responsible for that is the man who shot you. But, Annabeth, there is no clever argument that gets us away from the fact that your brave, admirable, wonderful refusal to accept the world as it is comes with the very real possibility that you will be hurt. You aren't responsible for that reality, but it is the reality. And it is your choice to engage it. And it is not my choice to be left behind, holding onto a bag of your belongings in a hospital somewhere."


	26. Continuation of the First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth is not doing well, but she does not want anyone to know.

I wake up cold. It takes me a second to register that the bed is wet. I sit up and the t-shirt I've been sleeping in sticks gummily to my back. I worry that I'm going to wake Leo and then remember that he's not there anyway. My feet hit the cold wood floor and I make my way into the bathroom. Peeling off the sweaty t-shirt makes me shiver and I think about getting in the shower. Am I awake enough already that a shower won't matter or is there a chance I'll go back to sleep? I opt for bed and head back into the dark bedroom, grope for a clean shirt from the drawer, and climb back into the other side of the bed. I pull the covers around me and wrap my icy feet in the sheets. How many times is this? Did I wake up in a cold sweat yesterday? The day before? Maybe I could count the nights, a twisted version of counting sheep.

Leo and Annabeth are in the Residence for Pres. Bartlet's birthday.

Annabeth is sitting on the couch talking to C.J. and Josh. Abbey, Jed and Leo are standing in the doorway.

Abbey looks over at Annabeth. "It's so good to see Annabeth here. She looks like she's doing incredibly well."

Leo nods. "Yeah. She's remarkable. She's back to work, won't hear about taking it easy." He smiles into his glass. "She won't let the bastards get her down."

Jed looks at him. "You think she's safe?"

Leo shakes his head. "No. But what if Charlie stopped showing up here after what happened to us."

"Yeah."

"And I have to let her."

Abbey snorts. "Let her?"

Leo turns to her. "I just meant…"

"Oh, I know what you meant. I'm just reminding you that if Annabeth heard you talking about 'letting' her do anything, you'd be spending the night on our couch."

Leo is standing in Annabeth's kitchen on a Saturday morning. He's on the phone.

"They don't have the votes to override…says who? Says me, Josh, the office of the Political Liaison, Legislative Liaison, and the Minority Whip. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna be there in half an hour."

Annabeth walks in as Leo hangs up.

"You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"I'm actually supposed to be taking short walks. This is one of them."

"You need anything?"

Annabeth walks to him and puts her arms around his neck. "Yes." She kisses him and runs her hands down the front of his shirt.

Leo shifts out of her embrace, but takes her hands in his. "You talked to the police again?"

"Yeah. That's who called earlier."

"And?"

"And there's not much to say. The guy is dead."

"Annabeth. This is the second time someone has tried to…"

"It was a continuation of the first."

"What?"

"The second time was a continuation of the first. This guy and the Italian guy. It was a continuation of Italy."

"What? How do you know that?

"Because the police confirmed it."

"They were part of the same group?"

"Yes."

"Which means there are more of them."

Annabeth sighs. "There are always more of them, Leo."

"Okay. I'm going to talk to some people. We'll find out more information on…"

"Leo. You have to stop."

"Stop what?"

"I love you for wanting to protect me and to fix this and possibly to kill some people on my behalf, but I have other people for that. What I don't have is another you. I need you to just be Leo with me."

"Annabeth, I nearly lost you. I can't stop wanting to protect you."

"I need you to get over that."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I don't want to be protected. Not by you.

"Who do you want to be protected by, Annabeth? Because it seems to me like you don't want to be protected at all."

"Leo, there are armed guards standing outside my house right now."

"And when you go to work? When you walk around D.C.? And when you start traveling again?"

"My building has security and as for everything else, what do you want, Leo? Maybe a tank for trips to the grocery store?"

"I want you to be careful!"

"You want me to be scared!"

"No. I don't. And you know that's not what I'm asking."

Annabeth sits down. "I don't want to fight with you."

"Yeah." Leo looks at his watch. "I've got to go." He kisses the top of her head. "I love you."


	27. Avoiding a Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo struggles to figure out how to make his relationship with Annabeth work post-shooting.

Jed and Leo are ending the day.

"It's no good and Jaworski knows it's no good."

"Yeah. He's gonna say the Japanese need to buy more American cars."

"32 billion against the trade surplus, Sir."

"Yeah." The President closes his briefcase and sits it on top of his desk. "Is that it?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Okay, Leo, I'll see you in the morning."

They walk towards the doors leading to the residence.

Jed turns to Leo. "Listen, you headed home or are you sticking around?"

"I've got a few things to finish up."

"Come up to the residence. Abbey's in North Carolina for the car thing."

Leo looks towards his office "I really should…"

"Leo, do I have to make it an order?"

"No, sir."

They walk down the path towards the residence.

"How's Mallory? It was great to see her at my birthday party."

"She's good. I know next to nothing about her life, but I think she's good."

Jed laughs. "I think I want to know about my girls' lives, but then they tell me and I regret the impulse."

"She and Sam went out a few times."

"Sam Seaborn?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, probably better that you stay in the dark."

Secret Service opens the door to the residence and Jed and Leo walk upstairs. Jed drops his briefcase on a table and continues into the kitchen. "I can't remember when the last time I cooked something was." He grabs a beer from the fridge and hands Leo a bottle of water. "Let's sit in the study."

Jed falls into a chair and gestures to a table behind him. "There's glasses on the bar cart over there. I don't want one, but grab one if you do." Leo walks over and tongs ice out of the bucket on the cart. "When's Abbey back?"

"Tomorrow night."

"So this is it, huh? Your bachelor night."

"Yeah."

"You're really living it up."

"Like you were going to paint the town red from the confines of your office."

Leo sits down on the couch across from Jed. "An office, I might add, that is some distance from your girlfriend."

"Can we not use the term 'girlfriend?' It makes me feel like I'm 16 years old."

"What would you prefer?"

"To not talk about my relationship at all."

"Fine."

"Great." Leo sits back against the couch and holds his glass up. "To your bachelor night."

"Cheers." Jed takes a sip of his beer. "Been a long time since I was a bachelor."

"Yep."

"Never regretted a minute of it, though, Leo. I am a lucky man."

"And Abbey is a patient woman."

"If you're suggesting that she's waiting for you, McGarry, I'd remind you that I have the full force and power of the United States military at my command."

Leo laughs. "I don't think you're at much risk of Abbey leaving you for me. Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

"She likes smart, hard working men."

"I'll accept hard working."

"Yeah, you are an idiot. That's why I keep you around. Useful to be made to look good in comparison. C'mon, Leo, we both know…"

"I wasn't fishing for a compliment, sir. I accept that I bring things to the table when it comes to this job. I'm just saying I make boneheaded decisions as much as the next guy."

"Like the boneheaded decision to avoid Annabeth by hiding in your office?"

"I thought we agreed…"

"I'm a politician. I lied."

"I'm not avoiding…"

"Bullshit."

"I'm not avoiding her. I am avoiding a fight."

"With her. So, semantics aside, you are avoiding her."

Leo leans forward and puts his glass down on the table. "I accept Annabeth as Annabeth and I stop being me. I demand that Annabeth be less Annabeth so that I can be fully me and it's no better."

"What part of you gets lost?"

"The part that takes charge and fixes things."

"Do you have some other part?"

Leo grimaces. "You see the problem."

"And Annabeth?"

"The part that refuses to back down from a fight - that, in fact, relishes the fight. The part that does what she wants, when she wants, how she wants."

"I see the problem."

"Yeah."

They sit in silence for a moment.

"When we first met she told me the reason I liked her was because I could just be a guy eating pancakes in her kitchen. And she thought she could just be a woman eating pancakes with me."

"I have no idea what that means."

"It means that we started out trying to avoid being the most extreme versions of ourselves. Two people who exist in the world in a certain way, but could maybe find a way to let go of some of that with each other. And it worked for a while."

"And now?"

"I don't know."

"You want to watch whatever the hell sport we can find on TV?"

Leo smiles. "Yes."


	28. The Whirlwind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can only avoid a fight for so long.

Leo walks into Annabeth's house. He shakes out his umbrella and hangs up his wet coat. He walks into the living room where Annabeth is lying on the couch watching TV.

"Hey you." He sits down next to her and looks at the TV. "African Queen….you thought a movie about repeated near death experiences followed by an attempted execution was a good choice."

"It seemed relevant."

Leo reaches for her hand and pulls quickly away. "Annabeth! Your hand is freezing." He looks at her more carefully. "Your hair is wet…" He pulls at the blanket she is wrapped in. "Sunshine, you're soaked. What the hell…"

"It's the thunder, I think."

"The what?"

"The thunder. I think my body is reacting to the thunder. This happens sometimes. I just have to let it pass."

Leo kneels down in front of the couch. "Annabeth, we have to get you warm."

"When the storm passes, Leo. It's the noise."

"It's torrential out. It's not going to stop. Come on. Let me help you." He starts to peel the blanket back.

"Leo! Stop. Just leave it."

"Sunshine, seriously, you are really cold. Just let me help you into a warm shower, okay?"

Annabeth sits up. Her hair is plastered to the back of her neck. Her legs are shaky as she tries to stand. She sits back down. "Just give me a minute."

Still kneeling in front of her, Leo puts his forehead against hers. "Why didn't you tell me this was happening?"

"Why didn't I tell you that I was sweating like some sort of a farm animal?"

"Annabeth…"

"Because this is not how I want to be, Leo. This is not…"

"This isn't weakness, Annabeth. You are human. Your body is reacting to the very real threat that you…"

"I don't want this."

"We promised each other no performances. The whole point was that we didn't need to perform for each other. I have no interest in people who try to impress me."

Annabeth laughs ruefully. "Jesus, Leo. You think this is for you?"

He sits back on his heels.

"This…I'm not performing for you. This is for me. I give into this and…and then what? What the fuck is on the other side of that, Leo?" Her hands are shaking and she puts them beneath her legs. "The other side of that is fear and paralysis and giving up everything I think matters in the world in order to barricade the doors."

She puts her hands on either side of her body and pushes herself to standing. "I'm going to go shower." She walks unsteadily towards the hallway.

Leo sits down on the couch and then gets up and follows Annabeth. He walks into her bedroom as she shuts the door to the bathroom. He stands, looking at the closed door, and then follows her in. He strips out of his clothes and opens the door to the shower.

"Leo!"

"Letting me help you is not the same thing as being helpless." Water beats down on both of them. "You aren't going to spin off into darkness if you admit that what happened was terrifying. I won't let you."

"I don't need you to do this, Leo. I don't want you to be my therapist or my protector."

"That's fine. But let me be your partner. Let me in and we can keep the darkness and the fear away together."

Annabeth looks at him. "I only want you to follow me into the shower because you want me, not because I need you."

"Annabeth, I know a lot of smart, sexy, accomplished women. If I was just looking to laugh and get laid, it wouldn't be that hard."

"I miss both of those things." She turns off the water and steps out of the shower. "I want them back. I want to stop having conversations about my physical and mental health. I just want things to get back to the way they were."

Leo grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist. "This is how relationships work. They don't stay one way forever. They widen, they deepen. I grant you that usually no one has to be shot in order for that to occur, but this is what happens."

Annabeth sits down on the bed. "What if this isn't a deepening but a change? What if we never get back to making each other laugh and tearing each other's clothes off?"

"Annabeth. There is no way that happens."

"Really? Because you haven't touched me in weeks."

"You almost died! Why do we have to act like that did not happen!"

"I am well aware that I was shot!"

"But you refuse to admit that it means something. That it does change things."

"What does it change? Why does it have to change anything? This is exactly what I'm talking about! I don't want to be Annabeth, the poor girl who got shot and who now needs special, tender loving care. I want to be exactly who I was in the seconds before a lunatic with a gun showed up."

"You can't be. And I'm not interested in playing pretend."

"So what, Leo? I can have you or I can have the filament thin line tethering me to sanity and a sense of self?"

"It's not one or the other."

"You want me to embrace the chaos and the fear. You want to ride into the whirlwind with me, my man on a horse. But you can just ride right out of the whirlwind whenever you want. So yes, Leo. It is one or the other. I can have you or I can hold onto who I was and who I must be if I am going to make it through this."

Leo shakes his head and stares at the ground. He picks his clothes up off the floor and starts getting dressed. "I want to be with you. The whole of you. The one who makes me laugh and the one who got shot and now sweats through her goddamn clothes because she almost died. I want all of it. If you only want to give me part of that, then…"

"Then you walk out, Leo? You walk out because I won't collapse for you? I won't curl up in a ball and ask you to save me?"

"This conversation is going nowhere."

"You want something I can't give."

"No. I want something you won't give. There's a big fucking difference."


	29. I've Got a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo tests his options in his AA meeting, and decides he and Annabeth should have some fun.

Leo is sitting in the AA meeting that John Hoynes introduced him to the year prior.

"Let's say I know a guy who clearly has a problem with alcohol. We're at the point where it's affecting his physical and mental health. He's got the shakes, sweats… we're talking full blown."

The group nods.

"And I know it's bad. I can see it. But, this guy. He won't hear that there's a problem. He wants to do it his way. I know how that story ends. If I'm a friend, I gotta just keep pushing, right? I mean, I don't just give up and let him do it his way, a way that ends who knows where, but it's not good. If I'm a friend I gotta keep insisting that he get help."

John laughs. "Leo, wild horses couldn't have dragged me away from the bottle until I was ready."

"So what, John? I just let it go?"

"You've said your piece. Are you this guy's friend? Then be a friend. The offer stands. It's been made. What good comes of haranguing the guy? If and when he's ready, he's ready."

"I can't be around someone who's drinking like this guy."

"Then don't be. You can be a friend without moving in with the guy, right?"

"This guy and I are close."

"All the more reason not to dig in for trench warfare, then."

"Yeah."

John looks at Leo closely. He juts his chin towards the other guys in the room. "We heard about your friend getting hurt, Leo. You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm good."

"Sometimes we notice the mote in our brother's eye to distract from the log in our own eye."

"No. It's not like that."

"Okay."

The meeting breaks up. They're heading out the door. John and Leo are the last two out and John catches Leo's arm as they walk out the door. Leo turns to him.

"Has Annabeth started drinking, Leo?"

"What? No. That's not…"

"Leo. I didn't get this far in politics because I was bad at reading people."

"Annabeth doesn't drink."

"So your story in there?"

"Was about a guy I know."

"Right. Because the smartest guy in the room thinks needling a guy into recovery is the way to go. Leo, listen, how many people do you have to talk to? Your best friend is the President, who has a few more things to worry about than your love life. And the other people closest to you all work for you, so they're out. I don't think you're the kind of guy who spills his guts to his daughter. I don't blame you for using this space to ask for help, even if it's not exactly the kind of help we have the meetings for."

"John, I've got a friend who drinks too much. That's what I needed to talk about."

"Okay."

"I appreciate you checking in though."

"Of course."

They walk down the hall. "You're a baseball fan, right, Leo?"

"Yeah."

"My brother's got seats right behind home plate at the Nationals. I can never use them for obvious reasons. You think you could use them?"

Leo laughs. "You think I got a lot of free time, Mr. Vice President?"

"It's the national pastime, Leo. Consider it work on behalf of the nation."

"That's nice of you, John, but..."

"I'll get you two tickets. Going to a baseball game is fun. You should have some fun."

A few days later. Leo calls Annabeth.

"Hey Sunshine."

"Leo?"

"Yeah. Do a lot of other people call you 'Sunshine?'"

"Not recently."

"Do you want to go to a baseball game with me?"

"I'm sorry. This is Leo McGarry?"

"Yes."

"This is Leo McGarry calling me to ask me on a date to a baseball game?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Well, then, yes. I would like to go to a baseball game with you."

"Great. It's tonight. Nationals-Cardinals."

"Two teams I care about not at all, but I do like hotdogs."

"Mustard or ketchup?"

"Ketchup. I'm not a psychopath."

Leo laughs. "I'll pick you up at your office at 6:45."


	30. Aristotle at the Ballgame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banter

Leo and Annabeth are walking into the stadium. It's crowded and noisy.

Annabeth reaches for Leo's hand and grips it tightly. Leo glances over at her and sees her eyes darting through the crowd. He puts his arm around her. "Do you know what I like best about baseball?"

"The speed of play?"

Leo smiles. "Hotdogs."

"With ketchup?"

"Mustard. Only psychopaths put ketchup on hotdogs."

Annabeth leans into him, her face relaxing into a smile. "I have an extensive rebuttal to this argument, but I'm going to let it go because you're good looking."

They're sitting in their seats when Annabeth spots Screech, the Nationals mascot.

"Leo," she points to the giant eagle mascot, "what in the hell is that?"

"That's Screech, the mascot."

"What is it?"

"What's a mascot?"

Annabeth looks at him levelly. "Yes, Leo, please mansplain to me what a mascot is. No! What is it supposed to be?"

"It's an eagle."

"That is not an eagle. That is a chicken."

"Yes, correct. The mascot for the Nationals, the team that plays, wait for it, in our nation's capital is a chicken, and not an eagle."

"Look at it! It's so fluffy and ridiculous. That's supposed to be an eagle?"

"Yes."

"Well, someone really needs to look at pictures of bald eagles before they design the costume next time because that is 100% a chicken."

"You've spent a lot of time around chickens such that you feel confident in this opinion."

"Someone who has spent absolutely no time around either chickens or eagles would recognize that the Nationals mascot is a chicken. Children, whose only exposure to either animal has been picture books with poorly drawn cartoonish images, would know that that is not an eagle, but a chicken."

"You feel strongly about this."

"Incompetence in all areas should be dealt with, Leo. We can't exempt mascot design teams from the expectation of excellence."

"Maybe a strongly worded letter?"

"I'm composing it as we speak."

"On letterhead."

"Obviously."

"You ever seen the Phillies mascot?"

"The Phanatic? Of course."

"You have feelings about him?"

"A large, furry, green bipedal flightless bird with an extendable tongue? No. Why would I have any thoughts about that?"

"I just thought that given your very strong feelings about bird costumes and their accuracy, you might…"

"You know what Aristotle said about this, Leo?"

"I was not aware Aristotle commented on Major League Baseball mascots."

"He did. He said a probable impossibility is preferable to an improbable possibility. Better to have your movie include a friendly dinosaur than for the bad guy to be the sheriff's long lost brother."

"So, you and Aristotle have no problem with large, green flightless bird mascots."

"None at all."

Leo smiles as he looks out onto the field. "I can't remember the last time I went to a ball game."

"Before the campaign?"

"Yeah, must have been."

"I can't remember the last time I saw you out of a suit – except for when you wear a tux."

Leo looks down at his button down and jeans. "I changed before leaving work. Margaret almost fainted."

Annabeth runs her hand lightly down Leo's arm and rests it on his thigh. "I have good news and bad news."


	31. Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heartbreak

"The good news is that you look incredibly sexy right now."

"And?"

"The bad news is that Screech and a few photographers are walking towards us."

Leo looks up. "Shit."

A guy in a Nationals polo shirt bounds down the last few stairs before their row. "Mr. McGarry?"

"No."

"You're not Leo McGarry?"

"If I keep saying no, will I have to take a picture with the chicken?"

Annabeth grins. "It's an eagle, Leo. And a mascot. A mascot is a symbol…"

The team rep looks confused. "Sorry. Would it be ok, Mr. McGarry, if…"

"Yeah. Let's just get this over with."

Screech comes down the stairs and Leo gamely poses for a few photos. Leo and Annabeth return to their seats.

"I'll want copies of those, Leo."

"Don't think that my being in love with you will stop me from enacting my revenge."

"I can hardly be held responsible for the actions of a giant chicken and his handlers."

"And yet I am going to hold you responsible anyway."

"Guilty until proven guilty. Interesting approach."

"Sweetheart, there's nothing innocent about you."

Annabeth laughs. "That's not true. For instance, I once went to a man's house for dinner and was shocked when he propositioned me."

"That must have been very difficult for you."

"You can only imagine."

"Oh, I do. I replay it in my head ten or twelve thousand times a day."

"Really? Any particular moments or…"

"I don't get the sense that your focus is on the game right now?"

Annabeth glances towards the field and then back at Leo. "It's 2-0 bottom of the 5th. Count is 0 and 1 and there's a man on second. I think we were discussing your fantasies about me."

"Don't they stop being fantasies when they come true?"

"Do you want me to tell you what I fantasize about you?"

Leo looks around him. "Not right here, no."

Annabeth puts her mouth right next to Leo's ear. "I'm naked in bed, waiting for you. It's late, and I've been thinking about you all day. It's all I can do not to…get started without you."

Leo turns to look at her. She holds his gaze and continues. "And then you walk in the room. You're wearing exactly what I hoped you would be…a biologically accurate bald eagle costume, complete with…"

Leo turns to the field. "There's going to be an executive order tomorrow morning banning ketchup from all Major League ballparks. Count on it."

Annabeth laughs as she looks out onto the field. "Did you play baseball growing up?"

"Yeah. I wasn't great. Mostly because other guys were bigger than me, but I was decent."

"I was a good athlete as a kid, but I could never get to being a great athlete. Part of it was a lack of discipline. But, the other, bigger thing was that I hated the point where being better than an opponent hinged on making the right play rather than on natural ability. Like, for a while, I would be the best at a given game. But, then, someone else would figure out a strategy or a system and all of a sudden, I was losing. It felt like they were cheating. Which, I recognize, was kind of a ridiculous conclusion, but I resented the imposition of strategy on what had previously been this purely joyful game. It ruined it – and not because I was no longer winning, but because it wasn't fun anymore. It was work."

"You're one of the hardest working people I know."

"Yes, at work. Working at work is kind of the idea."

"But, outside of work…working at other things sucks the joy out of it."

"Yeah."

Leo puts his hand over Annabeth's as it rests on his leg. "Relationships are work sometimes."

"Yeah."

"Which is when the joy ends for you?"

"This has been a problem for me."

"Is there joy in finding a solution?"

"Honestly, no." Annabeth glances at him. "I realize that makes me sound like a superficial jerk."

"You're not a superficial jerk."

"It's just that I work all the time. And on top of that I work to keep it all together." She smiles at him. "You know, not letting the bastards get me down." She tightens her hand around his fingers. "Even before almost being killed. And afterwards, well, there's more work now."

"And so you don't want a relationship that adds to the work?"

Annabeth looks down at the ground. "See, when you say it out loud… I am a superficial jerk."

"No, I get it. I can absolutely empathize with needing a break from taking it from all sides."

"I never meant to…"

"Yeah."

"This is breaking my heart, Leo."

"Mine, too."

"I try to imagine not being with you and…"

"Yeah. But it's equally hard to imagine how we stay together. We can tinker at the edges of who we are, but ultimately…"

"Neither of us is able to be with the other while being fully who we are."

"Yeah."

"Fuck!"

"Yeah, I'm really gonna miss that."

Annabeth laughs, but she has tears in her eyes. "Leo, you didn't bring me to a public place knowing we were going to break up, did you?"

"No. I brought you here because there is genuinely no one else I would rather be here with."

They both look back out at the game.

"I love you, Leo."

"I love you, too."

"In a few minutes, I'm going to stand up and walk out of here, okay?"

"Yeah.

"But, until then, would it be okay if I kept holding your hand and we just sat here."

"Yeah. Let's just be two people watching baseball at 9pm on a Saturday night."


	32. A Matter of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Annabeth reflect.

Two months later. Leo is sitting at the island of his kitchen with the ring box in front of him.

My heart has been broken three times. The first was when my father killed himself. The second was when Jenny told me she was leaving me. The third was when Annabeth Schott walked out of Nationals stadium.

Another Leo once said that all happy families are happy in the same way, but each unhappy family has its own unique unhappiness. The same is true for heartbreak. My father's death unmoored me, casting me out into the world long before I was prepared to face it. My divorce unsettled me, forcing me to redefine my life at exactly the time most people are setting up the deck chairs.

I thought losing Annabeth might hurt less because, unlike with my father, I was party to the decision. I also thought it might hurt less because, unlike with Jenny, we had spent such a relatively short time together.

I was wrong.

For the time we were together, she was the end of my every thought. I would see something or hear something and feel this anticipatory pleasure at later recounting it to Annabeth. She was the end of my body, too. When you're alone, your body is a thing you have. You pay attention to it when it forces you to, with pain or need. But, for a time, my body was hers, too.

It's a matter of time. This is what I tell myself.

Annabeth is in her kitchen staring at plate of pancakes.

My heart has been broken twice. The first was when my mom died. The second was when Leo McGarry let go of my hand at Nationals stadium.

Another Anna once said that her love made her unable to distinguish between what it was she hoped for and what it was she feared. I hoped for a future with Leo. I feared a future with Leo.

And I thought losing Leo might hurt less because I would lose the fear. I would return to myself.

I was wrong.

No one ever told me how much grief feels like fear. It's the same restlessness, the same dread of the empty house. I miss him. It is as complex and as simple as that. On the worst days, it feels like an amputation. On the better days, like a momentary confusion, reaching for a word and coming up empty.

I remember the way his hands moved over me, but I can't feel it.

All relationships are, in some way, a denial of time; a refusal to admit that one day, the two of us will not be together. And so I tell myself it's just a matter of time.


	33. Emails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes writing is easier.

From: Leo McGarry  
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2020 9:15 PM  
To: Annabeth Schott  
Subject: fireflies

A –

You asked me once if we could stop talking so that we could have an actual conversation. Sometimes, when people are good at talking, they manage never to say anything. We're both very good at talking, so I'm writing.

I was probably 15 and I was walking home at night. I noticed a bush glimmering, so I touched it and fireflies rose out of it in a cloud of light. It was so beautiful that I almost regretted having done it.

How could you not want to have that moment back, all beauty and surprise? How could you not want to build a fence around that glimmering?

From: Annabeth Schott  
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2020 10:15 PM  
To: Leo McGarry  
Subject: Re: fireflies

L –

Every summer in Japan, people hold a firefly festival. They catch fireflies and put them in jars. Then they join together in boats on a lake or river. All at once, everyone opens the jars and thousands of fireflies fill the air.

Thousands of fireflies. It makes you think they could have skipped the part where they caught them and put them in jars.

From: Leo McGarry  
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2020 10:30 PM  
To: Annabeth Schott  
Subject: Re: Re: fireflies

A –

Did you ever trust me? Or did you always think I was stalking your night with a net and a jar?

From: Annabeth Schott  
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2020 7:15 AM  
To: Leo McGarry  
Subject: Savannah

L –

Savannah summers are hot and humid. We lived in so many different apartments and little houses, each one no different from the last. The same linoleum kitchen floor that never looked clean no matter how hard you scrubbed it. The air conditioning was always broken, or just not there to begin with. Julia and I went to the library for the first time because we thought it would have air conditioning. We then spent entire days in the library, without looking at a single book. The librarian must have realized we didn't know where to start. One day she asked me for my help finding a book. We walked through the aisles and she'd absentmindedly name the sections. She'd say "alphabetical by author's last name" as she scanned a shelf, seeming to talk to herself and not me.

I was seven so it never occurred to me that this was a performance for my sake. Her way of helping me without shaming me for what I did not know. Kindness is so much easier to accept when you don't know it is being given.

From: Leo McGarry  
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2020 9:15 AM  
To: Annabeth Schott  
Subject: Re: Savannah

A -

Ken O'Neal carried me out of the jungle on his back. Jed carried me out of a motel parking lot, where I had parked my wagon and fallen off it. My sponsor, John, when I call him, will stand behind me and push down on my shoulders while he talks to me, almost as if he is anchoring me. And when Jed was shot, he took my hand and he kissed my cheek.

All men; my allies, my friends, my saviors. Intimacy is so much easier to accept when you don't know that's what it is.

From: Annabeth Schott  
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2020 11:15 AM  
To: Leo McGarry  
Subject: Re: Re: Savannah

L -

To trust someone, to be intimate with someone. It's the same thing. You have to let them see you. And it makes me feel like a firefly in a jar.

From: Leo McGarry  
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2020 2:45 PM  
To: Annabeth Schott  
Subject: let me see you

A –

To trust you, to be intimate with you means risking losing you. And it makes me feel like a boy watching the fireflies disappear.

There are people you seem to know the first time you see them. There are others, like my father, you could spend an entire lifetime with and never really know. And then there's you. The day you walked into my office, it was almost like I recognized you. But there were other days where it felt like I barely knew you, and maybe that you wanted to keep it that way.

From: Annabeth Schott  
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2020 3:30 PM  
To: Leo McGarry  
Subject: Re: let me see you

L –

I'm not afraid of you seeing me. I am afraid that you will confuse seeing with knowing. Paul told the Corinthians that one day we would see face to face and know fully. Jesus responded to Thomas' doubts of the Resurrection by showing Thomas the wounds. God told Moses he could not look upon Him and live, the vision and the knowledge would overwhelm his meager humanity.

Seeing is believing, we are told.

But, what if it's not? What if God refused Moses vision because He would overwhelm Moses not with knowledge and certainty, but with void and insecurity?

I am terrified of being pinned, like a butterfly, to your book, when it is the vast and unknowable depths of a person that make for interest and wonder.

I want you to recognize me and barely know me.

From: Leo McGarry  
Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2020 9:15 PM  
To: Annabeth Schott  
Subject: Re: Re: let me see you

A –

Growing up in a city, your horizon is never more than a few feet in front of you. Everything is tall buildings and right angles and masses of people, rushing.

Maybe I became a pilot to be able to see. But, then, war does not grant you much time for exploring and beauty is hard to find.

Air Force One flies over Chicago and it's a visible, organized grid. Dark square box after dark square box, with little pockets of green. Neat and orderly. But, I know what Chicago looks like from the ground.

I don't confuse the two, Annabeth. I don't mistake my view from the plane with the teeming disorder of the ground. I recognize it and I know I barely know it.


	34. Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Leo reunite.

Leo comes home and sees Annabeth sitting against the door to his apartment. She stands up as he walks towards her. "I thought about calling you, but I wasn't entirely sure what I would say."

"You still have your key."

"Yeah. I thought about using it. And then I envisioned some sort of an 'I Love Lucy' scene, you know, where you think I'm a robber and hit me over the head with a frying pan."

"Do you want to come in now? All the pots and pans are safely in the kitchen."

Annabeth nods and follows Leo into his apartment. She watches as he hangs up his coat. When he turns back around from the closet, Annabeth walks over to him and loosens his tie.

"What are you doing?"

She pulls his tie out from his collar. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No."

Annabeth looks at him and unbuttons his suit jacket. He shrugs out of it and she tosses it onto the couch. Her hands a little unsteady, she reaches for the top buttons of his shirt, and slowly begins to undo them. Leo catches her hands as she moves down his shirtfront. "I've spent the last three months trying to forget how this feels."

"Did you forget?"

"No."

"Neither did I."

Leo reaches for her and pulls her into his body. He kisses her gently, but Annabeth knots her fists into either side of his opened shirt and demands more. His hands are in her hair, and hers reach for his belt as they stumble towards Leo's bedroom.

Later... Leo and Annabeth are lying in Leo's bed.

Annabeth turns onto her side to face Leo. "I have good news and bad news."

"Okay."

"The good news is you look incredibly sexy right now."

"And I'm lying naked in bed with you. There is no bad news."

"I contacted the Nationals press office and got 100 copies of the pictures of you and Screech and created several photo albums to distribute to friends and family at Christmas."

"Whose friends and whose family?"

"Ours."

Leo turns to face her. "Ours?"

"Yeah."

"So this isn't a one night stand?"

"It's already morning so I'm afraid that ship has sailed."

"Are you saying this only so that I will make you pancakes?"

Annabeth gets out of bed, picks up Leo's shirt from the floor and puts it on. "No. But, now I'm hungry. Let's go make breakfast."

Leo watches as Annabeth moves around his kitchen grabbing what she needs for pancakes. "I can't decide whether to be happy right now."

Annabeth laughs. "Are you able to do that? To decide whether to be happy? It seems like it's just a feeling that happens. Or doesn't."

"What do you call happiness tinged with fear and uncertainty?"

"Life?"

"Clever."

Annabeth turns to face him as she whisks a bowl of pancake batter. "I've missed you, Leo. Every single day. Hell, every moment of every day."

"I've missed you, too."

Annabeth turns back to Leo's stove and pours batter out in neat circles. "Do you want blueberries?"

"I want you."

Annabeth's back stays turned to Leo as she stands in front of his stove with a spatula. "I'm in your kitchen, making you pancakes, wearing nothing other than your shirt. I'm not sure how much more yours I could be right now."

"I want you forever."

She turns. "Forever?"

"Yeah."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah."

"You think we can figure this out? You think we can figure out how to be together?" She flips pancakes onto plates and brings them to where Leo is sitting at his kitchen island.

"Why did you show up here, Annabeth?"

"Because you said you see Chicago and you know you don't know it. Not entirely."

"I meant that."

"I know."

"I can't come in from the cold and go back out into it. I've been barely holding on, Annabeth."

"I want you, too."

"Why?"

"Leo. Do you have to ask?"

"Yes."

"When I am in a room with you, I can't see anyone else. I have never before, and am entirely unlikely to ever again, meet anyone with whom I am so utterly conjoined. Losing you felt like an amputation, Leo. Being with you feels like being made whole. 'I love you' isn't enough to describe what you mean to me."

"You said you still have your key?"

"The key to your place? Yeah."

"Good. That will make your moving in with me easier."

"You want me to move in with you?"

"Sunshine, I want to wake up to this, to you, every single morning for the rest of my life. The moving in thing is just a detail."


	35. Housewarming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo moves in with Annabeth and party planning begins.

Annabeth looks at Leo. "I am entirely on board with this plan with one small change."

"Name it."

"You move in with me."

"You want me to move into your place?"

"Yeah. It's bigger and I like my stuff."

Leo laughs. "Is this a test of my flexibility? Right off the bat?"

"No. Although I guess it does double as that."

"My commute will be a little longer."

"Your sex life will be a lot better."

"Sold."

"Really, Leo?"

"Absolutely. But, we're going to need to build a bigger closet."

"You do have more clothes than me."

"Yeah. And shoes."

"I noticed that. Of course, if it was up to me, you wouldn't wear clothes at all."

Leo laughs. "You want me barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen?"

"Did you read my latest article: 'If Men Could Get Pregnant?'"

"The one where you called for an end to the 'tyranny of the minority?'"

"That's the one."

"I'm sure James Madison would have appreciated the turn of phrase."

"My audience was more Dolly Madison, but thank you."

"You think either Madison would have been a supporter of abortion on demand?"

"Abortion on demand? Are you serious, Leo? Abortion is a legal medical procedure in this country. I don't hear anyone talking about 'chemo on demand' or 'heart surgery on demand.' Abortion on demand is a right wing talking point, meant to convince people that Planned Parenthood is operating drive-thru abortion windows. It's a scare tactic; one that relies on centuries of patriarchal propaganda that women cannot be trusted with their own bodies, much less…" She looks at Leo who is smiling at her. "You son of a…you're winding me up on purpose."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I love listening to you do what you do."

"You must have really missed me if you're willing to let me lecture you."

"I did really miss you."

"Did you miss this?" She kisses him.

"You have no idea."

"I think I do. Let's go back to bed."

JOIN US FOR A HOUSEWARMING (of a sort) PARTY

Where: Annabeth and Leo's (3005 O St NW)

When: December 1st 6:30pm to whenever Leo kicks you out

Why: Do you need a reason for a party?

Why: Okay. Fine. To check out Leo's ridiculous closet, home to his even more ridiculous wardrobe.

Leo looks over Annabeth's shoulder as she creates the invite. "It's not ridiculous."

"Oh, it is. Marie Antoinette would blush to see your closet."

"Is she invited to the party?"

"The guest list is hitting about 200, Leo, so it is entirely possible she's on there."

"Do we really know that many people?"

"Yes."

"Do we like that many people?"

"No."

"Okay. Let's cut that down."

Annabeth hands Leo the list. "It's alphabetical by last name."

"Because nothing says party like the Dewey Decimal system."

"Laugh it up, McGarry. 200 people requires some attention to detail."

"This second page looks like an invite list for a wake. Surely we know more people under the age of 90."

Annabeth looks around her house. "Can we even fit 200 people in here?"

"Okay. I'm cutting this list way down. Hand me a pen." Leo starts crossing off name after name. He hands the list back to Annabeth. "Here. Done."

Annabeth looks at it. "Leo, you crossed off 150 people."

"Yeah."

"Thank God. I was beginning to think I'd never get to have a party again that didn't double as a political fundraiser."


	36. If At First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo's housewarming announcement is not exactly what he planned

Night of the housewarming

C.J. and Toby are standing in Leo and Annabeth's kitchen. "I'll say this about Leo McGarry. He has excellent taste in cheese."

"Yeah, I wouldn't know since you've hoovered up half the cheese plate. I'm afraid I might lose a finger if I get in your way."

"Did you just compare my eating habits to a vacuum cleaner, Toby?"

"Yes."

"It is a wonder you are single."

Donna and Josh walk over and join C.J. and Toby. Josh looks around the room. "You guys seen Sam?"

C.J. nods. "Yeah, he's been in the corner with Mallory most of the evening."

"Good thing Leo's distracted."

"Josh, can you go get me a beer? I don't want to lose my sight line with Dr. Husband."

C.J. follows Donna's gaze. "Who is Dr. Husband?"

"He's the guy in the grey sweater. And he is a doctor. And my future husband."

"Wow. Does he know that?"

Josh reaches for the cheese plate. "She hasn't actually spoken to him, so I'm gonna say no."

"Beer, Josh. Make yourself useful if you can't be nice."

Josh walks out Annabeth's back door to grab a beer from the cooler and runs into Leo. "Hey. Great party."

"Thanks. You seen Mallory?"

"Mallory?"

"Yeah, Josh. My daughter. Pretty sure you know who we're talking about."

"No. Haven't seen her."

"Yeah. Okay."

Leo walks back inside. Josh brings Donna her beer and rejoins C.J. and Toby. "Somebody better find Sam. Leo's looking for Mal."

Toby nods. "C.J. can't be away from this cheese plate. I'll go find him."

"Guys. Dr. Husband is headed this way. Look at me like I'm very important, but also approachable."

"What does that even mean?"

"Josh, shut up and laugh. He should also think I'm funny."

"Donna, I'm not participating in your insane estrogen-soaked game of charades."

C.J. nearly chokes on her cracker. "Estrogen soaked? You and Toby really need to hit the dating scene together. You guys sure know how to talk to the ladies."

"I'm going to go find some men to talk to." Josh starts to walk away.

"Not Dr. Husband, Josh! Do not talk to…" She watches as Josh walks right over to Dr. Husband and looks back at her. She shakes her head desperately. Josh points to him. "Oh my god, C.J. What did I do to be cursed by Josh Lyman?"

"What did the rest of us do to be cursed by your and Josh's refusal to just have sex and get it over with?"

Donna looks up, horrified. "What?! Josh and I do not…"

"Donna, relax. It's just me and I'm several glasses of very good wine into the evening."

Toby rejoins them. "No sign of Sam or Mallory."

Donna looks away from Josh as he turns from Dr. Husband and starts talking to someone else. "Do you guys think Sam and Mallory left together?"

Before Toby or C.J. can answer, Leo's voice booms through the house. "Hey, everybody! Shut up for a minute so I can say some things."

Everyone crowds into the living room where Leo is standing on a chair. "Anybody makes a crack about my needing this chair just to look you all in the eye and I start charging for drinks."

Laughter ripples through the room.

"Alright. First I just want to thank you all for coming. It means a lot to me and Annabeth to have so many of the people we most care about here tonight. As you all know, Annabeth was recently released from the insane asylum which explains her willingness to be with me and to let me move into her house."

Someone yells out. "We had been wondering!"

Leo smiles. "Yeah. You and me both, buddy…" Leo looks around the room until he sees Annabeth. He raises his glass. "To Annabeth Schott. For this night, this house, and this life. I love you."

Everyone cheers and claps.

Leo puts his hand in his pocket and scans the room quickly before getting down from the chair. Annabeth walks over to him and kisses him. "I love you, too."

"Mallory's nowhere to be found."

Annabeth looks around the room. "I saw her earlier."

"Yeah. Not a big deal. I'm just gonna go check the kitchen again." Leo walks towards the kitchen, but then veers towards the staircase and walks up to his and Annabeth's bedroom. He takes the ring box out of his pocket and puts it back in a drawer. "Dammit, Mal."


End file.
